Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
by JaeciBae
Summary: The Drake family retired from the life of treasure hunting. Accepting their mundane life until Nate informs Lily of his long lost brother, Sam, who mysteriously appeared desperately seeking their help. Together they embark on one last adventure, risking everything they worked for.
1. A Normal Life

"_Life is either a great adventure or nothing."_

**Helen Keller**

Gunfire echoed throughout the jungle as thunderous rain poured around them. Nate and Lily were firing at their enemy who blocked the cave's entrance.

"Flank left, I'll cover you!" Nate ordered.

With an understanding nod, Lily advanced toward them. She rolled to a pile of crates for cover. Bullets flew past her head as she peaked over them. There were six heavily armed soldiers with their weapons trained on Nate. After a quick calculation, she tiptoed to the nearest target. The soldier, unaware of her presence, hid as Nate fired back. Once the man's back was turned, Lily launched herself at the soldier. Swiftly twisting the man's head, his neck made a mild snap and his body went limp.

The world around Lily suddenly became consumed in darkness as her eyes shot open. She was lying on her bed, trembling and drenched in a cold sweat. Her fingers dug into the sheets as the sun's rays seeped through her curtains and dust drifted like snow above her. Most of her nights ended like this.

Once recovered from the dream, Lily began her morning routine, mindlessly finishing her tasks as she wandered about the house. Lily could hear Nate and Elena murmuring in the kitchen as she slipped on a pair of worn black jeans and pulled a blue polo shirt donning the Rouses Markets logo over her head, then finally tucked it into her pants.

Lily found Nate and Elena at the table engaged in conversation. Their heads shot towards her the moment she entered.

"Morning," she mumbled to her parents as she prepared her breakfast.

"Morning kiddo," Nate greeted.

Lily plopped into her seat across from Nate and stared at her bowl.

"Rough night?" asked Nate, noticing the bags under Lily's eyes.

"I've had worse," Lily shrugged.

"Hopefully work won't be tough today," Nate encouraged.

After a quiet breakfast with her parents, Lily grabbed her lunchbag and the keys to her 2009 Subaru Impreza and hurried out the door. With a classic eighties song pumping on the radio, Lily recounted what she needed to do at work on her way there. The music reminded Lily of when Nate had to drive her to work; they would loudly sing along with every tune that played. Lily smiled at the memory as she pulled into the employee parking lot behind the store. She had a little time to relax in the fifteen minutes until her shift started.

Entering through the back door, she found herself in a storage room lit by a single dim light bulb. A tiny hallway led to the main part of the store. Two rooms adjacent from each other branched out to the office and break room. She poked her head in to find her coworkers, Jessica and Eric, slouched in chairs.

Jessica had long red hair and a fair, rounded face. She often dressed in slightly upscale clothing despite working at a grocery store. Eric, a short and slightly overweight college student, wore a white button-down shirt, black pants, and thick-rimmed glasses. He had his black hair cut to just below his ears.

"Hey," said Eric sleepily.

"Hi," Lily responded sheepishly. Despite having faced some of the world's most fearsome criminals, she was still quite bashful around most people due to only having Nate and the rest of their family to rely on.

"Ready for another _fun_ shift at the greatest place on Earth?" Jessica joked sarcastically.

"Oh, definitely," Lily quipped as she placed her lunch into the fridge and took a seat at the table for a quick pre-work nap.

After what felt like seconds, a buzzer blared from the ceiling speaker signifying the start of the workday. Lily glanced at the clock, which read a dreadful eight o'clock. With a sigh, she made her way to her assigned register as customers slowly began leaking into the store.

She scanned groceries and other goods for the often rude and dull customers until her mind numbing shift was over. As she made her way through the back of the building, her manager called from the office.

"Good job today, Lily. I know how irritating the public can be," he said kindly.

"Thanks, Richard," Lily said, grateful for the thoughtful acknowledgement. Richard, a venerable man who had worked at the store for several decades, was one of the few positive aspects of the job. He was often very patient and was a great mediator between employees when they had disagreements, however he also had a sense of humor reminiscent of Sully.

The sound of scanner beeps echoed in Lily's head as she fought through traffic to get home. Dinner was already prepared when she arrived.

She wandered to the table and plopped into the chair. A smile spread across Lily's face when she noticed Elena had made celery and carrot soup, one of her favorites. Lily grabbed her spoon and devoured her dinner.

"So how was everyone's day?" she mumbled.

"We recovered a large load of copper in a truck that crashed over the bridge; just another day in paradise," Nate explained satirically.

He worked at a salvage company as their diver; Lily never understood why Nate complained so often about a seemingly enjoyable job.

Elena watched Nate adoringly as he talked about his day, commenting as he paused. Once Nate was finished recounting his day, Elena turned to Lily.

"What about you, Lil?"

Lily began tapping her chin as she scoured her memory for anything interesting to talk about.

"I listened to idiots complain about how the food was too expensive and the lines were too slow and long," she moaned. "I'm just the dang cashier, so I really don't know what they want me to do about it. It's the grocery store, there are gonna be lines!"

"Hey, at least you get to stay dry. I have to shower twice a day to keep from smelling like sea life all the time," Nate joked.

"I'd _love_ an excuse to shower twice a day, Dad. You know how I'm basically a fish when it comes to staying in the shower," she continued. "Oh, by the way Elena, how's that article coming along?"

"I think I rambled too much and it's probably filled with typos, but that's what editors are for, right?" Elena shrugged.

"What's the topic?"

Lily always read Elena's published articles because she wanted to be a journalist herself one day, having taken a few courses when she went to college.

"Tourism in Bangkok, but I don't think the magazine is gonna like the direction I'm taking. Everyone I interviewed immediately commented how rude the smog was the moment you stepped off the plane."

As Elena explained her article, Nate's attention drifted to a framed picture of a beach mounted above the fireplace. He stared at the peaceful scenery in a daze until Lily poked his hand with the tip of her fork.

"Ow, what was that for?" Nate winced as he rubbed his hand.

"Where were you?" Elena chuckled.

"In here getting stabbed by Lily's pitch fork," Nate pouted.

"You were _definitely _somewhere else," Lily teased.

"Was not!" Nate defended.

"Then what was my article about?" Elena smirked.

Elena nudged Lily playfully as Nate sat there deep in thought.

"...traffic in... Bangkok?" he suggested, unsure of his answer.

The girls turned to each other and erupted with laughter.

"Nice one, Dad," Lily chuckled.

"What, I was close wasn't I?" asked Nate.

"Not even," Lily shook her head.

Once the laughter faded, Lily continued the conversation.

"By the way, I'm going out with Maddie tonight," she informed.

"Didn't you guys see each other yesterday?" questioned Nate as he finished his bowl.

"She's going on another job tomorrow and I won't see her for a while," Lily replied.

"Besides, I planned on proposing to her too," Lily added as her cheeks grew warm.

"Proposing? Aren't you like… sixteen?" said Nate, pretending to be aloof.

Lily shot him a goofy, warm glance acknowledging the joke.

"I'm sure she'll say yes," Elena encouraged.

"I know she will, but I'm still nervous."

"Trust me, I was scared too when I asked Elena, but it'll be fine. She's perfect for you, Lil," Nate smiled.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Have fun and be safe alright?" expressed Elena as she gathered everyone's plates.

Nate and Lily slumped into their seats as their food settled. Lily listened to her mother walking about the kitchen cleaning the dishes. Elena pressed the pedal on the trash can with her foot and the lid swung open to reveal a bag overflowing with garbage. A strong stench filled as Elena's face turned to one of disgust.

"Ugh, this bag needs changed. Would one of you mind doing it since I cooked?" she requested.

"Not it!" Nate and Lily shouted in unison.

They shot a glance at each other and smirked.

"I did it last week!" Lily claimed.

"I thought I did?" Nate insisted.

"Well, someone has to," Elena reminded them.

The three agreed to rotate once a week when it came to doing chores.

"I'll play you for it," Lily suggested.

"Play me for it?" Nate repeated nervously.

"Yeah, how about a round of Mario Kart. Loser takes out the trash!" said Lily with a devious smile.

Elena treated Lily to a Nintendo 64 for her birthday last year. She'd challenge Nate when they needed to settle arguments or bets. Lily enjoyed playing against Elena, who was quite adept at most games, but Nate was anything but a gamer. He sat there, his mouth agape, as he contemplated Lily's offer.

"Alright, hook up that TV game… thing," Nate sighed. He knew this was going to be an easy win for Lily.

Lily hurried to their living room and booted up the system as Nate slumped on the couch. Lily grabbed her favorite controller and tossed one to Nate. Her controller was the newest one Elena had bought for multiplayer. Nate's, however, was the one the system came with: the buttons were sticky from an orange juice spill, and the control stick was wobbly.

"Wanna join us, Mom?" Lily offered Elena, who claimed a seat next to Nate on the couch.

"Sure," she nodded as Lily handed her the other spare controller, which was still newer than Nate's.

"Hey, hold on, how come your stick isn't all wobbly like mine?"

"You have the habit of breaking stuff; we're protecting the other controllers from your _curse_," Elena bantered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nate said smugly.

"You've had a hand in destroying every lost city you've ever gone to, and just last week you pulled the parking brake handle clean off!"

"Hey, it's not my fault they used cheap material for that thing," he replied.

"Hey, didn't you also break the bathroom mirror when you looked into it?" Lily jabbed.

"Ha ha, very funny. Let's get to playing; I've been practicing since we last played," Nate bragged.

"I'm sure you have, Dad," said Lily as she rolled her eyes.

The game booted up and displayed the title screen, playing the nostalgic theme. Lily navigated to the character select screen, where the eight racers were displayed.

"I wanna be the monkey," Nate said, a hint of excitement in his voice as he selected Donkey Kong.

Lily and Elena selected Toad and Luigi, their respective favorite characters.

"I'm the best!" Lily shouted along with her character.

After selecting Toad's Turnpike, the race began. Elena and Lily managed to activate the start boost. Meanwhile, Nate had spun out before finally accelerating, causing him to fall far behind his opponents.

The three competitors dodged cars, trucks, and grabbed items as they vied for first place. Nate, who was struggling to avoid traffic, finally managed to drive through an item box.

"Yes, a blue shell!" he exclaimed as the spinner landed on the rare item. With a press of the Z button, he launched the shell, which hurtled itself toward Lily and Elena, knocking them into the air, giving Nate a chance to catch up.

The second lap arrived. Elena and Lily were neck and neck with Nate finally obtaining a better grasp of the controls, allowing him to further close the gap. The third lap began as quickly as the second, and Nate was quickly gaining on his adversaries. Driving through another item box, he collected a lightning bolt and quickly used it to shrink the other drivers, slowing them down.

"Another rare item?!" shouted Lily.

"What can I say, I'm lucky!" he retorted.

"All I've been getting are banana peels," complained Elena.

Nate flattened her as he zoomed passed, placing himself in second. The final stretch to the finish line appeared, and Nate was quickly catching up. Just before they reached the goal, Elena launched a red shell at Nate, knocking him off his wheels. Lily crossed the line, claiming first place and thrusting her controller into the air in victory.

"Hey, I was gonna win!" moaned Nate.

"If I'm losing, so are you," Elena smirked.

"Great race, guys, that was fun!" Lily said, giving each parent a high-five. "Dad, you weren't lying, you've improved. I'm proud."

She smiled and headed back to her bedroom to prepare for the proposal. The idea of seeing Maddie again helped spread a warm, tired smile on Lily's face. While she stayed home, Maddie went off on adventures.

Once they returned from Yemen, Nate and Lily vowed to retire from their life of treasure hunting. They wanted to spend time with Elena and grow as a family. Even though Lily enjoyed her new life in New Orleans, she missed the adventure. There were times she contemplated on going with Maddie but the thought of betraying her parents' trust discouraged her.

Lily reached into her closet to receive the outfit she chose. She wrapped herself in a white button down blouse and pulled a black vest overtop. Her favorite red tie rested gently around her neck as she rolled up her sleeves. Lily tucked her blouse under black pants as she observed herself in the mirror. She saw a strong, independent woman staring back at her. She twisted her brown hair in braids with a few strands draped around her face. Her skin was covered with foundation, although she never liked make up, believing it hid one's true self. Tonight was special, however, and Lily thought she needed to look her best for Maddie.

Before hurrying out the door, Lily stuffed the ring box in her pocket and found Nate at the kitchen table hunched over documents he brought home from work. Lily approached him bashully as she waited for him to pry away from the pile of documents. Nate's hand flowed across the page as he scribbled his signature, then laid the pen down and glanced up once the form was done.

"How do I look?" Lily inquired, her voice shaken.

"Who are you, and what've you done with my daughter?" Nate joked.

He stood up and wrapped Lily in a big hug.

"You look amazing. I know tonight will go great," he smiled.

"Thanks, Dad." Lily sighed happily.

"Go get her tiger," Nate grinned as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Lily took a deep breath as she grabbed her keys.

"Tell Mom I won't be out late," Lily announced as she hurried out the door.

Once the door closed, Nate's eyes drifted back to overflowing paperwork.

On the ride to Maddie's hotel, Lily rehearsed her speech. The whites of her knuckles shone in the moonlight as Lily gripped the steering wheel. The car slowed to a stop in front of the hotel and Lily tugged the shifter into neutral and pulled the parking brake. The clock on the dashboard alerted Lily she was on time. Lily pulled down the mirror for a final checking as she analyzed her teeth and makeup. The double doors leading into the lobby swung open to reveal Maddie behind the darkened windows.

Maddie's dark hair flowed to her shoulders as it bounced with every step. A maroon colored spaghetti strap tank framed her figure and leather pants tucked around her waist, Maddie's caramel skin illuminated under the warm lights.

Maddie's vibrant beauty caused Lily's heart to flutter as she approached the car. Lily dug her fingers into her shirt collar and tugged on it nervously.

"Hello gorgeous. Don't you look dashing?" greeted Maddie as she slid into the passenger seat, her British accent flowing through every word.

"Hey beautiful," said Lily as she kissed Maddie's cheek.

Lily's face grew warm as she admired Maddie before pulling out of the hotel parking lot.

"How was work?" asked Maddie breaking the silence.

"Could've been better. The public is dumb," Lily huffed. "How about you?"

"I finished packing for my trip," Maddie explained shortly.

Maddie was heading to Thailand to receive an artifact for a client.

"That's great. You'll have to take pictures for me, I miss Thailand," Lily commented.

The two engaged in conversation until Lily arrived at a park. It was a large field with trails branching into the forest surrounding the area. The lot was empty, aside from a few cars, and the trails were free of hikers. Lily reached for a blanket and headed into the forest. Birds chirped as the two walked hand in hand, smiling at each other adoringly. A slight breeze crept through the trees, giving them a gentle sway. The quiet rustle of leaves filled the otherwise silent, chilled air. Lily pinched her pocket, ensuring the ring box was still there. She moved closer to Maddie to fight off the small bite of the cold.

"How about we find a bench to cuddle on?" Maddie suggested, rubbing a finger gently over Lily's arm.

"I found an awesome spot when I came here with Mom. Trust me, you'll love it," Lily assured as she tried to recover from Maddie's touch.

"Can't wait," said Maddie as she kissed Lily's temple.

Lily gathered courage as their destination was in sight. The two have been together for seven years and Lily concluded she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Maddie. When she approached Nate about the proposal, he gave her some advice: express your feelings in a few words then get down on one knee. It was sound advice, but her nerves got the better of her. She squeezed Maddie's hands as her muscles tightened.

The sun was setting as they neared the top of the hill. Trees faded into buildings as the city stretched over the horizon. Lights from the buildings twinkled like stars as the sun disappeared. A bench sat facing the city. The sides were comprised of greening cement, while the seat was made of an aged yet healthy wood. The two plopped down on the bench; Maddie put her arm around Lily, who eased into her partner's side.

"You weren't kidding, this is breathtaking!" Maddie exclaimed as she rested her head on Lily's shoulder.

"I thought you'd like it. Mom and I sat here for a break during our hike last week," Lily explained.

The two held each other as they watched the city before them. Lily's heart pounded against her chest as Maddie kissed the top of her forehead. The two enjoyed a loving silence. Every now and then, however, Lily would glance behind her as if she felt eyes piercing her from within the trees. She knew they were alone but her body tensed despite the quiet atmosphere. Ever since she left warzones, she couldn't help but be alert, despite the lack of danger. She nestled closer to Maddie, which helped calm her mind. Sparks danced between her fingers as she played with the flames in her right hand, something Maddie always enjoyed watching.

"M-Maddie, can I talk to you about something?" Lily stuttered to break the silence.

"Sure," Maddie agreed as she lifted her head.

Lily shifted so she was facing Maddie properly and took a deep breath.

"You've always accepted me for who I am, despite my flaws. No matter what I threw at you, you chose to stay. You're amazing, and I'm still breathless that I have the love of someone like you," said Lily, reaching into her pocket and revealed a red velvet box.

"Lily… what are you-" Maddie began but was cut short when Lily dismounted the bench and lowered to one knee, holding the box up to Maddie. She opened the box, unveiling a ring which immediately began shimmering in the moonlight.

Maddie covered her mouth as tears swelled in her eyes.

"I love you, Maddison, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you-" Lily smiled.

"Yes, yes!" Maddie shrieked and wrapped her arms around Lily, pulling her into a hug. The silence only broken by Maddie's sobbing. Lily slid the ring on Maddie's finger once they released each other.

"It's beautiful, Lil. Thank you," Maddie gasped.

"Not as beautiful as you," Lily complimented as she pinched her cheek. Maddie pressed her lips against Lily's and time stood still. Maddie's skin was soft to the touch was Lily brushed her fingers over Maddie's arm.

They sat back down on the bench, each others' face damp from tears of happiness. Maddie rested her head on Lily's shoulder as she admired her diamond ring. Lily reached for the blanket and draped it over them.

"I'm going to miss you," Maddie whispered.

"I'll miss you too, love," said Lily as she stroked her cheek.

"You can always come with me," she offered.

"I can't. I promised my parents I won't do that stuff anymore," Lily declined.

"Man, now I'm convinced to stay, we have so much to plan," Maddie contemplated.

"Don't change your plans because of me, darling. It's only a few weeks," Lily assured.

"Oh, alright. I'll be sure text you every day."

"Can't wait to hear from you already," Lily chuckled.

Maddie shifted so she was resting on Lily's lap. They admired the city as if they were seeing it for the first time.


	2. Settling the Debt

Lily's eyes shot open as she sat up in her bed, covered in a cold sweat resulting from yet another nightmare. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Despite her life improving every day, she was still haunted by her past. Lily sleepily finished her morning routine and headed to work. She tried to distract herself by focusing on her job as the clock ticked slowly by.

Richard and another girl walked up to her register once she finished with the line of customers.

"Hey Lily, this is Emily. We just hired her on and she needs trained on the registers. For today, I'll be having you move some stock around in the back. There are some pallets with boxes on them that need unloaded onto the shelves. I figured I'd ask you, since you're basically our strongest employee," he said, patting his bicep. "Head back and get started, I'll meet you there after I get her set up here."

Lily headed to the rear of the store where she found several cardboard and styrofoam boxes wrapped in plastic and stacked on wooden pallets. She grabbed a box cutter from a nearby shelf and sliced through the plastic, revealing the containers held within. After a short stretch, she began moving packages to the metal racks filling one side of the room. As she worked, her mind filled with thoughts of the magical previous night, making her wonder what life would bring her and Maddie once they marry.

Suddenly, a deafening bang echoed around through the room as a stack of plastic-wrapped styrofoam boxes containing frozen goods slammed to the floor. Her mind snapped back to Nepal as she shot a fireball toward the source of the sound and took cover in the storage racks.

"Lillian, where are youuu?" a gravelly voice called in a Siberian accent. Lazarević's voice echoed in her skull, triggering a blistering headache which forced her eyes closed.

"I've come to reclaim that little 'gift' I gave you!" he shouted. She could hear his footsteps approaching, the pound of the boots grew louder with every step.

"Now then…" he said.

"Stay back!" she shouted, her eyes still glued shut. She felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. The pain began to subside and she opened her eyes, discovering it was Richard kneeling in front of her, a concerned expression covering his face.

"You alright, Lily? I hurried back as soon as I heard that loud bang," he said.

She was shaking and covered in sweat, just like when she wakes from a nightmare.

"I… I think so," she said, her voice quivering.

"Good. Tell ya what, why don't you take some time off? You have plenty of PTO, and Emily's having no trouble covering your station," he offered as he stood and stretched out his hand to help her up.

"Deal," she said.

Lily wandered to the front of the store, wished Emily luck, and exited through the sliding doors.

As she began walking to her car, a friendly voice sounded a few feet from the door.

"Hey, you look pretty shaken. You okay?"

It was Nolan, the homeless man who generally hangs out around the store. He doesn't bother anyone, so Richard lets him stay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Something happened in the back room, but it's nothing a little rest won't fix." she said, plunking a few quarters in his cup. "By the way, if you ever need a job, I'll gladly put in a good word for ya.

"I'd love that," he smiled through a scruffy beard. "See ya later, kid."

She got in her car and laid the seat back to take a nap. Hot tears streamed from her eyes as she tried closing them without seeing Lazarević staring back.

"_Why can't I shake this?" _she thought, weeping. She put her hands over her face until the emotions faded and she drifted to sleep.

When she awoke, the sun had nearly set and the parking lot was almost completely empty. She glanced at the clock, which read six-forty.

"Ah crap, missed dinner," she said to herself as she straightened her seat and started the engine.

After arriving home, she began making her way upstairs.

"Hey, you're home late. What's up?" asked Nate.

"I took a nap in my car and it lasted a little longer than I would've liked. I'll grab a snack if I get hungry," she responded, not wanting to speak of the day's fiasco.

She entered her room and laid down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as her hands were folded behind her head. The rest of the night consisted of her lying in bed trying to make sense of her ailment until she decided to finally get some proper sleep.

Sun rays peeked through Lily's window. She opened her eyes and sat up stretching.

"_Finally, no nightmares,"_ she thought. Crisp morning light poured in the window overlooking her bed. Feeling like some light reading, she grabbed her copy of _Seven Pillars of Wisdom_ by Thomas Edward Lawrence. She read this book countless times but always found enjoyment in it. An hour passed as she sat in bed poring through her cherished novel.

Lily was finishing a chapter when Nate strode into her room. Her head shot up as he approached her. The expression on Nate's face warned her something was wrong. Nate claimed a seat at the foot of her bed and released a heavy sigh.

"Can I talk to you?" Nate asked.

"Sure," Lily nodded as she bookmarked her page and placed the book beside her.

"This is gonna sound weird, but hear me out," Nate expressed hesitantly. "I have an older brother. I thought he died in jail fifteen years ago, but apparently I was wrong. He came into my office today asking for help."

A knot in Lily's stomach tightened as she processed this. She stared at her father blankly, agasp at the sudden confession.

"You have… a brother?" Lily paused. "Can I meet him?"

Confusion was replaced with excitement at the thought of seeing her uncle. Nate recollected himself after Lily's surprised reaction.

"That's what I need to talk to you about," said Nate as an apologetic smile spread across his face.

"A man named Hector Alcázar broke him out of prison, but it came at a price. He owes him a lot of money and has to find Henry Avery's treasure to settle the debt. I promised Elena I wouldn't do this kinda stuff anymore and she would never agree to me going, so I'm gonna tell her it's a business trip. I was hoping you could stay so it wouldn't seem fishy?" Nate inquired.

Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Let me get this straight. You come in here telling me you have a long lost brother and expect me to stay home while you two go off on an adventure?" Lily recited.

"That's right," Nate nodded.

"Are you crazy? You know how much I love pirates! I'm coming along," Lily insisted.

"Come on, Lil. What about Elena?" Nate reminded her.

"Tell her the truth. I'm sure she'll understand," Lily suggested.

"I can't take that chance," Nate declined. "We've known each other for over a decade and I never told her about him. How do you think she'll react?"

"Dad…" Lily sighed. "Fine, we'll lie to her, but I'm still coming along. We'll think of something."

Lily mulled over Elena hearing the news. She was never one to speak out of anger but would still express deep concern. Agreeing with Nate, Lily devised a plan where she wouldn't be suspicious of their sudden disappearance.

"What are we going to do?" inquired Nate.

"I can tell her I want to visit Maddie and you'll be driving me to the airport," Lily offered.

"Great idea," Nate nodded.

"Are you sure we can pull this off, Dad? We're both _terrible_ liars," Lily reminded him.

"Hey, I put on a good ruse!" he exclaimed.

"Sure you do, Dad," she said sarcastically. "I just hope this doesn't bite us in the ass one day…" Lily sighed.

"We'll be fine, I promise. I have to make a few arrangements before we leave. Want to meet up in an hour?" Nate suggested.

"Sure," Lily nodded.

"I'll see you in a bit," Nate said, patting Lily's shoulder and vanishing into the hallway.

Lily hurriedly changed into a fresh set of clothes and retrieved her duffel bag from the closet. Unsure of what to pack, she tucked in every outfit she deemed suitable for the trip. While stuffing her bag with travelling necessities, her mind wandered to Elena. Lily stressed over what consequences may arise if they got caught. Her thoughts quickly shifted to Nate's brother for encouragement.

"_What's he like? Will we get along? Oohh, I hope he has embarrassing stories of Dad,"_ she thought.

After checking off her mental list of what to pack, she decided she couldn't stall any longer, Lily searched the house for Elena, who was tucked away in her study. Her eyes were glued to the computer screen as she proofread her nearly-finished article. Lily stood in the doorway as she contemplated whether or not to disrupt her.

"H-hey Mom, can I talk to you?" Lily stuttered.

Elena twirled in her office chair and greeted Lily with a warm but weary grin.

"Sure, Lil. What's up?"

"My boss gave our new employee some of my hours, offering me paid time off, I'm going to use this time to visit Maddie," Lily explained.

"That sounds like a great idea! Do you have your passport updated?" Elena inquired.

Lily's palms became clammy as she scrambled for a response.

"Y-yeah, Dad got it updated for me last week," said Lily, her voice slightly high pitched.

"Great! Be safe and say hi to Maddie for me," said Elena gleefully. "This isn't to cover up for anything, is it?" she said, tilting her head and pointing at her daughter.

"N-no! Of course not!" she said, trying to obscure any trace of a stammer.

"Relax, I'm just busting your chops. Have a great time."

Elena got up and gave Lily a tight hug.

"Thanks Mom, I will," Lily nodded, the stress finally draining from her shoulders.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have an article to finish. I'm glad to finally be done with this thing, it's been fighting me for weeks."

As Lily returned to her bedroom, a familiar sense of guilt began creeping into her mind as she recalled everything Elena had sacrificed for her. Lily reached for her cell phone and dialed Maddie's number, who picked up after the second ring.

"Hey there, gorgeous," Maddie's melodic voice eased Lily's worrying.

"Hey beautiful, is this a bad time?"

"You caught me before entering the cave, is everything alright?"

"Can you do a huge favor for me?"

"Anything my love," Maddie assured.

Lily recited the last few hours to Maddie.

"Wow, a lost brother? Who knew?" Maddie gasped.

"I know, I'm excited to meet him," Lily smiled.

"Does Elena know?" asked Maddie.

"That's what I called you about. Dad thinks she won't let us go so we had to come up with an excuse."

"This is Elena we're talking about, I'm sure she'd understand."

"Still, we want to be sure we're able to do this. I told her I'm coming to visit you, so if she contacts you, that's where I am. Dad's gonna tell her he's on a business trip and we're leaving from the same airport. Sound good?"

"I still feel uneasy about this, Lil," she responded doubtfully.

"I wish we didn't have to do it like this, but there doesn't seem to be any other choice," Lily bemoaned.

"I'll follow along. Just try keeping me updated on what's happening, kay?"

"Sure. Love you, Maddie. Mwah," smiled Lily.

"Love you too, cutie," gushed Maddie. "Can't wait to see you."

"Me neither. Talk to you later!"

"Bye-bye!"

As she hung up the phone, the numbness of guilt quickly returned despite just having spoken to Maddie. The digital clock on her wall alerted her it was time to meet with Nate. She swung her duffle bag over her shoulder and closed the door behind her. Nate was in the hallway, luggage in tow, and greeted her with a tired grin. The two slumped down the stairs and met Elena at the front door, who pulled them in for a hug. Once she released Lily, Nate pulled Elena close and kissed her tenderly.

"Call me when you both land. I love you," said Elena as she waved her family off.

"Love you too, Mom. See you in a few weeks!" Lily called after Elena.

The two hurried out to the driveway and piled into the car, tossing their duffle bags in the back. Lily watched through the side mirror as their house disappeared over the horizon, a melancholy feeling still draped over her. A classic eighties station faintly played as they sat in silence. Nate focused on the road as their neighborhood transformed into city streets.

"We're meeting Sam and Sully at the airport," Nate announced.

"Grandpa Sully's coming too?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Of course! He'll be our transportation."

"I can't wait to see the old timer."

"I dare you to call him Grandpa once we get there," Nate smirked.

"Trust me, I _planned_ on it," Lily assured.

The laughter faded into an all-too-familiar quiet. Lily had no idea how to start a conversation about Nate's brother.

"So, what's your brother like?" Lily gathered the courage to ask.

"He's a little rough, but is pretty suave and his hair's kind of long. He's a bit taller than me, and no matter what he says, _I'm_ the handsome one," Nate explained.

"I take it he's a history nerd too?" Lily chuckled.

"Big time, 'specially pirates," Nate nodded.

Lily's eyes widened.

"Hold up, pirates?!" Lily shrieked. "How did you not tell me this sooner? You know I love pirates! Sounds like we're gonna annoy the crap outta you with all the pirate talk, huh?"

"Yeah, well, at least try to keep it to a minimum in the airport. Don't want people thinking we're up to something, right?"

A few more silent moments passed.

"Why did you think Sam passed away?"

Pain struck across Nate's face and the knot in Lily's stomach tightened. She watched as her father's expression transitioned into a blank stare.

After a short sigh, Nate began, "Years ago, Sam and I were in a Panamanian jail looking for clues relating to Avery's treasure."

"He's the one who pulled off the biggest heist ever, right? The Gunsway Heist?" Lily recited.

"That's right. One of his crew members was sent there to be hanged and we thought he might've left a clue in his cell. Our partner, Rafe Adler, paid our way in."

"Did you find anything?" Lily asked eagerly.

"I did: a cross attached to a golden statue of Saint Dismas," Nate replied.

"That's odd; usually it's Jesus on the cross," Lily noted.

"We thought the same thing. We figured there was some secret meaning behind it. Unfortunately, after finding it, things went wrong. The bottom of the cross was broken off and the inside was hollow, so it was a dead-end. The warden wanted a cut of the treasure and we had no way of getting it to him, so Rafe killed him. This led us to escaping the prison. Rafe and I got out, but Sam got shot… he fell from the roof, and that was the last time I saw him," Nate's blank stare returned. The whites of his knuckles shone as he gripped the steering wheel.

"If only I went back for him… I should've checked," said Nate, gritting his teeth.

"You would've been killed too…" Lily reminded him.

The two exchanged another moment of silence.

"I'm sorry I never told you about him. I was ashamed of what happened," Nate sighed. "He's the only one I had for my entire life up until that point, and losing him, I… I think I just wanted to forget him."

"It's okay, Dad. I understand; I'd probably be the same way if I lost you," Lily assured as she patted his arm gently. "That would explain the box I found in the attic," Lily nodded.

"A box?" Nate repeated.

"I was looking for an artifact for a college project when I came across a box. It contained a jean jacket, the cross, and a white book with gold initials etched in," Lily described.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought it wasn't my place," Lily shrugged. "It's your stuff and I didn't wanna snoop."

"I appreciate it," he responded quietly. It was clear he wasn't in the mood to talk about it any further.

"So, where are we headed?" asked Lily.

"Sam found the real Saint Dismas cross online. It's listed at an auction being held at the Rossi Estate in Italy," Nate explained.

"How are we supposed to pull that off with so many people watching?! Not to mention it's one of the most secured black market auctions!" Lily reminded him.

"We'll improvise," said Nate.

Lily was a bit concerned about Nate's carefree response. They pulled off heists before but nothing of this caliber.

They rode the rest of the way there in an uneasy hush. Arriving at the airport, they spent a few minutes probing the parking lot for a space, finally finding one near the edge. After a short walk to the terminal, they spotted Sully and who Lily assumed to be Sam sitting a line of empty chairs while waiting for them.

"Grandpa Sullyyyy!" shouted Lily as she rushed to greet the old man. He had a little less hair and a few more wrinkles than the last time they met. He was sporting a tacky red tropical shirt and cargo pants. She rushed over to greet him, nearly knocking him over as she tackled him with a hug.

"Hey, good to see ya, kid! You've been staying out of trouble, right?" he said with a bright smile.

"Just enough to keep the cops off me," she winked. "How about you?"

"Likewise."

He and Nate shared a warm embrace, like a father seeing his son after a long time apart.

"Good to see ya, boy-o," he said, patting Nate's back.

"I missed ya, Sully," Nate smiled.

Sam stood up and diffidently approached the group.

"So am I to assume you're the famous Lily I've been told so much about?" he said in a thick Boston accent.

"The one and only!" she smiled, tilting her head and snapping her fingers, producing a bright blue spark.

"Oh my God, you _do_ have powers! Nathan told me, but why the hell would I believe something like that?!"

"Hold on, you didn't believe me?"

Sam shrugged as Nate rolled his eyes.

"We should get going if we're gonna beat the weather," advised Sully. "Plane's parked out the East gate."

The four toted their luggage to Sully's plane and stashed it in the holding area before piling into the claustrophobic cabin. Lily found a spot next to Sam while Nate sat across from them. Lily shifted towards Sam and began bombarding him with questions as Sully launched the plane.

"So, this dork told me you specialize in pirates?" she said, pointing her thumb at Nate.

"You betcha," Sam nodded.

"Right on! I grew up reading pirate books. Dad gave me a few for my birthday each year."

"Sounds like Daddy Nathan did a good job raising you," Sam smiled.

"I agree, he did," Lily responding, looking fondly at Nate.

"I appreciate the compliments, Sam, but do you really have to call me Nathan? We're not kids anymore," Nate complained.

"Sorry, does it bother you?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, it's a bit annoying."

"Exactly!" Sam shouted.

Nate exchanged Sam's excited expression with an increasingly irritated one.

The three continued telling stories and sharing interests for several hours more, only being separated by short naps.

Sam glanced toward Lily's sapphire necklace, analyzing it.

"Hey Lily, if you don't mind me asking, where'd you get that necklace?" he asked.

"My mom gave it to me. She died before I was old enough to remember anything, so this is all I have of her."

"Interesting. Nathan was too young at the time for him to remember, but our mom often wore one just like it."

"Wow, really? That can't be a coincidence. What was she like?"

"Treasure hunter, just like us. In fact, she was searching for Avery's treasure when she died; our dad said it was suicide, but this lady she worked for said it was illness that took her; neither of us are really sure what happened. Her name was Cassandra."

"Sounds like a phenomenal woman," responded Lily, reflectively rubbing her chin. "I'm sorry you lost her like that. My biological father was a piece of garbage who got my mom killed."

The air fell still.

"I returned the favor. It was between that and losing Dad, and I refused to let that happen."

"Geez, Nathan, your daughter's freakin' hardcore. I doubt she got that from you," Sam joked, a hint of uneasiness in his voice.

"That monster deserved it anyway. He was willing to kill thousands to gain power. Still, that memory haunted me for years. It took a bullet to the gut and sinking several leagues into a lake of drug water to finally get over it."

"Drug water? Damn, you're gonna have to tell me the whole story sometime."

"Absolutely I will," she promised.

"Hey guys, you might wanna get ready, we're gonna be landing in about five minutes," Sully notified.

"You got it, Gramps," agreed Nate.

"Ah, not you too," he groaned.

The four landed and prepared to begin their mission.


	3. The Italian Heist

The hotel suite they rented was more exquisite than anything Lily had experienced before. The bedroom containing two plush queen-sized beds was concealed by a mahogany door. The walls were lined with a shimmering gold molding and antique furniture dotted the room. Clad in tuxedos, Nate, Sam, and Sully were sitting at the finely waxed wooden table positioned a few feet away from the fully-featured kitchen.

Lily opened the door and stepped into the main area. In order to fit in, she had changed into the silky, light blue bridesmaid's dress she had worn at Nate and Elena's wedding.

"Hey, I recognize that dress! You look great, Lil!" exclaimed Nate.

"Thanks, but I always feel silly wearing dresses. I was really hoping I wasn't going to have to wear this thing…" she said sheepishly.

"I'm sure you're going to make quite a few people swoon over you tonight," he smiled.

"Dad, Maddie's the only one I want swooning over me."

"Maddie? That's an unusual name for a boy," Sam said.

"Who said she's a boy?" she grinned. "Maddie's my fiancée."

"Fiancée? How'd you skip out on telling me you're engaged?" complained Sully.

"It didn't come up organically?" shrugged Lily. "I was distracted by everything else going on. Secret uncle, pirate treasure, and a heist at an auction? That's a lot at once."

"I guess you're right," he atoned.

The team gathered their supplies before heading to the auction.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Nate inquired as they piled into the high-end Cadillac Sully rented.

"Sully and I open a window for you and Sam, then you boys snatch the cross" Lily recited, the car smoothly accelerating.

The Rossi Estate could be seen rising over the road horizon as they approached. The fortresslike building was made of smooth concrete topped with a Tuscan tile roof. The edge of the building was dotted by tall red flags marked with the Rossi emblem. The front of the building featured three arched entrances featuring massive windows. Banners similar to the flags sided each entryway.

As they arrived at the estate, Nate and Sam exited the vehicle, jumpsuits in-hand.

"Jumpsuits?" questioned Lily.

"Don't wanna get messy on the cliffs, right?" responded Sam.

"We'll get in position and wait for you guys to get there. See ya soon," said Sully.

"Good luck, guys!" waved Lily as Sully sped off toward the front gate.

"Follow close. No one here exactly has a clean résumé," instructed Sully as the two exited the car.

"You got it," Lily agreed.

The auction was filled with esteemed guests from around the world, all dressed in lavish attire. A bar, lit by colors more familiar to a mid-range club, was tucked toward the front corner of the seating area, in the middle of which sat a glossy ice statue. Lily was bent slightly forward, clutching her left arm as she closely tailed Sully.

"You alright, kid? Ya seem nervous," he questioned.

"Yeah, I've just… never been the greatest around crowds."

"Yet you've fought your way through armies of people who are _trying_ to kill you. What's the difference here?"

"It feels like they're all judging me; I'm not allowed to punch them either, which doesn't help."

"Yeah, I know the feeling. You get used to it. C'mon, in here," he said, pointing to the hallway adjacent to the item presentation area at the front of the room.

Lily never left Sully's side as they weaved through the crowd. Her dress trailed behind her as she followed her partner to their rendezvous point. Lily's eyes panned to the stage where beautiful artifacts were displayed on glass pedestals. Intricate vases and statues trimmed with gold, along with a menagerie of other rare jewelry and artifacts, shimmered under the crystal chandelier lights.

"Wonder where those came from?" she pondered.

"Best not to ask at this kind of event," answered Sully.

As the two made their way toward the waypoint, a woman with pale, freckled skin and blazing red hair twisted in a tight bun approached the stage. She donned a red vest over a white button down shirt with its sleeves rolled up. A black tie was snug around her neck. The woman wore a tired expression as she replaced a vase with a wooden cross adorning a golden statue.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a change of lot order. The auction will now commence in ten minutes," she announced.

Lily tugged on Sully's arm to grab his attention.

"Sully, the cross!" Lily exclaimed as she pointed towards the stage.

"Damn, it wasn't supposed to be auctioned off for another hour," Sully grunted.

Sully frantically searched the crowd until he found a staff member.

"Excuse me, how long do we have until the auction starts?" he inquired.

"About fifteen minutes, sir," the staff member replied and continued with their assigned tasks.

"Damn it, that won't give Dad or Sam enough time!" Lily cursed.

"We better hurry. Ya hear that, kid?" Sully said, placing his hand on his ear, in which he had mounted a covert communication device.

"Loud and clear, Sully. Come on, Sam, we'd better hurry," Nate noted. The two began swiftly making their way across the cliffside toward the meeting place.

"Follow me," Sully encouraged.

"Right behind you, gramps." Lily nodded. As she followed, she bumped shoulders with a man wearing a white tuxedo and had his light brown hair slicked back with a thick layer of gel.

"Hey, watch where you're… Mary? What are you doing here, I thought you're supposed to be in Scotland?"

Unsure of what to say, Lily dashed to catch up with her grandfather.

The crowds began to thin as they climbed a long, steep flight of stairs. Lily lifted her dress and trotted passed a now-panting Sully, leaving him a few paces behind.

"Having trouble, Sully? You can always quit smoking," Lily teased.

"If smoking got me this far in life, why stop now?" he quipped.

"Why do I bother trying?" Lily laughed as she reached the top.

Sully lead them through long corridors composed of dark wood. Paintings and artifacts lined the walls of the estate. Lily wanted to admire them but time was too short to allow it.

Their journey brought them to a grand study. Towering bookshelves filled with battered novels brushed just under the ceiling. More elaborate artifacts dotted the room as a large mahogany desk was placed in the center. A red couch rested on the left of the desk. Three windows facing a breathtaking view of the ocean, expanded from the house in a half circle. Sully made his way over to a table adorned by a lamp. He gave the lamp string three quick tugs, signifying the ready signal for Nate and Sam.

"Now all we can do is wait," Sully concluded as he meandered toward the leather couch a few paces from the windows and plopped on its right side. He lit up a cigar and took a few puffs, leaving out a contented sigh.

Lily pushed on the window pane which opened without much resistance.

"Do you have to do that in here?" Lily complained as she covered her nose.

"I'm not often at gatherings like this; it's what I like about groups of criminals: no one cares if you smoke indoors," he smiled.

"If we get chased by anything on this trip, I don't have to outrun them, I just have to outrun _you_, Smokey," Lily scolded.

Loud thumps could be heard as Nate and Sam scaled the estate. They reached a platform that stretched outward below the window. Nate was about to vault inside until Sam tapped his shoulder.

"Uh, Nathan. Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Sam as he unzipped his filthy jumpsuit.

"Oh, right," Nate nodded as he followed suit.

They left the suits on the cliff and quietly hopped inside.

"Evening boys, did you have fun?" Lily greeted.

"I had to show this guy a thing or two on how to toss a grappling hook, but aside from that it was a nice climb," Nate said.

"Hey, you missed the first time!" Sam complained.

"I think he's getting a little forgetful in his advanced years," Nate uttered, putting his hand by his mouth so Sam couldn't see, despite him being able to still hear Nate clearly.

"At least you guys got the fun part of the job," Lily joked.

"I hate to interrupt, but we have a situation, remember?" Sully reminded them.

"So the lot order changed. Bit of a pain in the ass, huh?" huffed Sam.

"That'd take a whole lot of cash to make that happen," Sully grunted as he puffed his cigar.

"How much time do we have until they start bidding?" asked Nate.

"Ten minutes, tops," Sully replied.

"We're gonna have to come up with something fast," Nate thought out loud.

"We've pulled heists like this before. Why don't we try that method we used in China years ago?" Lily suggested.

"We got lucky; those guards were clueless," Nate retorted.

"Not to mention there are a few hundred witnesses," said Sully.

"We just need a diversion," Sam added.

"Like what?" asked Lily.

Nate grabbed his chin as he frantically scraped his mind for ideas.

"If those guards see us going anywhere near that stage, this'll all be for nothin'," Sully began.

"What if they don't see us?" Sam suggested.

Nate, Lily and Sully turned to Sam as confusion contorted their faces.

"Damn, you guys act like you've never been to prison before. If you want something dirty done, you wait for…"

"… Lights out!" the three replied in unison.

"Where's the electrical panel for this place?" Sully inquired.

Nate reached into his back pocket to retrieve a map of the estate. They found a nearby table and spread the map on the surface.

"There's ventilation… plumbing… electrical! That's it up there," said Nate, pointing to a sketch of a cell tower.

"We just have to climb up there, kill the lights…"

"… and grab the cross in the dark," Sam finished.

"Don't forget about the emergency generator," Sully noted.

"That'll give us a few seconds of darkness to work with," Nate added.

"Which means we'll have to be right next to the cross without being noticed," analyzed Sam.

"Do you have any advice, Lil? How'd you go unnoticed when you pickpocket tourists?" asked Nate.

"I'd make sure they were easily distracted, although I don't think my particular skill set would be the best for this situation," Lily replied.

The four made their way back to the main hall. A waitress bearing a warm smile carrying a silver plate covered with finger food approached them.

"Excuse me, appetizers?" the waitress asked in Italian.

Nate and Sully declined the offer as Sam glanced behind him and gave her his best smile.

"Hi, how are you?" he asked in a flirtatious tone as he reached for a treat.

Lily took a couple steps backward and took a shy stance.

"Don't work yourself too hard, gorgeous," Sam said fluently in Italian.

"Ciao," said the waitress as she rolled her eyes.

"Can you focus, please?" Nate persisted.

"A waiter wouldn't be noticed," said Sam as he popped the food in his mouth.

"That could work," Sully nodded.

"That _will_ work. I'll get to the breaker room, kill the power," Nate offered.

"So, I'm the waiter?" asked Sam.

"Actually, I had Lily in mind for that. She'll blend in better since she's around the same age and stature as the others.

Nate turned to Sully.

"You and Sam can head down to the floor and keep an eye on the prize, okay? Let us know if anything… hinky goes down," Nate instructed.

"You got it," Sully nodded.

"Alright, we still got this, ready?" Nate encouraged.

"Let's do this," Lily nodded.

"Follow me, we'll cut through the cellar," Nate offered and they continued to the main auction hall. They twisted through the crowd and made their way to the far left side of the ball room.

Tucked into the corner was a set of parallel doors leading into a staff hallway, secured by an electronic lock. Employees could be seen using a white keycard they needed to access the entrance.

"Think we can pick the lock?" Lily suggested.

"No dice, it's electronic," Nate reminded him.

A waiter entered the ballroom from the hallway and stuck his keycard in his rear pants pocket.

"You see that?" whispered Sam as he gestured to the waiter.

"Keycard… left pocket," Sully noted.

Lily turned to Nate and Sully.

"Think I still got the moves?" Lily challenged.

"Go for it," Nate encouraged.

Lily quietly approached the unsuspecting waiter standing by the perimeter of the crowd, observing for attendees in need of assistance. Unsure if the waiter spoke English, Lily scrambled for Italian phrases she knew.

"Excuse me, sir. Do you have any suggestions for a wine I should try tonight?" Lily asked in what seemed to be fluent Italian.

Her hand patted the man's lower back as she conversed with him, using the opportunity to nab the card and conceal it in her dress pocket.

Nate's eyes narrowed as he observed Lily. After the waiter informed her the names of various fine wines, Lily hurried back to her group wearing a proud smile.

"I still got it," Lily sighed as she revealed the keycard.

"Where did you learn that technique? I never taught you that," inquired Nate.

"I learned from watching the best," Lily shrugged.

"She means me. I taught her that when we were busting your ass outta prison," included Sully.

Nate shot Lily a loving yet disapproving look.

"I thought _I_ was the best?" he pouted.

"You know you are," she winked, lightly nudging his side with her elbow. "Anyway, we've got the card, let's get busy. Sam, Sully, see you guys later."

"Good luck, guys," Sam waved.

Nate and Lily absconded through the door, hustling to complete their mission before the auction began. Navigating through the corridors, they found themselves on the second floor of an outside balcony. One story below, a pair of waiters, both smoking a cigarette, could be seen conversing.

"The one on the right looks about my size," Lily inspected. "I'll take that one, you get the guy on the left."

"Got it," he agreed.

The duo executed their plan with great synergy. After stripping the one waiter of his clothes and hiding the unconscious bodies in nearby bushes, Lily hid around a corner while she changed. Stuffing her dress in the shirt and wrapping her hair up tightly to make her figure more masculine, she rounded the corner, presenting herself to Nate.

"How's this?" she inquired.

"You look like they ran out of uniforms at the first day for new hires, but it'll do. You get back to the main hall, I'll take care of the power. Be careful, these people don't mess around."

"Don't worry, I can take care of whatever comes my way," she said, snapping her fingers and producing a flurry of blue sparks.

"I know… old habits, right?" he smiled. As Nate departed toward his appointed task, Lily returned to the auction and did her best to blend with the other workers. Not wanting to actually have to pretend to be an employee, she tried to keep space between herself and the crowd.

The auctioneer returned to the podium and cleared her throat.

"The auction will now begin. The first item is an inlaid wooden crucifix from the Trott Estate. The bidding will start at ninety thousand."

Sully and the man wearing the white tuxedo both raised their bidding paddles.

"You sure you wanna do this, Victor?" he seethed.

"Why not, Rafe? Let's have some fun," Sully jived.

They were the only two bidding for the item, waging war as the price climbed to three hundred thousand Euros.

"Alright, I'm at the switch. You ready?" Nate asked over the earpiece.

"As I'll ever be," Lily responded.

"One sec," requested Sully. "Three-fifty!" he called, raising his paddle.

"Your bid, signore, takes us all the way to three hundred fifty thousand Euros," the auctioneer announced.

"Five hundred! Let's get this show on the road!" the other man shouted, thrusting his paddle in the air. Sully laid his hands in front of him as the man glared at him.

"Had me worried there for a minute, Victor. Thought I might have to kill you!" he joked.

"Okay, let's ruin this asshole's evening," Sully smirked.

The auctioneer spoke up once more.

"Anyone else we are going once… going twice… then I shall sell it for five hundred thousand-"

Suddenly the lights went out, sending the room into a thick darkness. Lily focused energy into her eyes, causing them to start glowing blue and enabling her to see through the blackness. Swiftly grabbing the cross, she sped to the other side of the room where Sam and Sully were stationed and hid it in her shirt between her chest and the dress.

Just as emergency lights flooded the room, the three disappeared through the locked door. The suited man chased after them shouting, "Move it! Get out of the way, stop them!"

"Stop!" shouted the guard stationed by the door.

"What're you doing, you're letting them get away!"

"Get lost!" the guard shouted, pointing his rifle at the man.

"Fine," he pouted, throwing his auction paddle to the ground.

Lily, Sully, and Sam sprinted through the halls of the estate, dodging heavily armed guards emerging around each corner.

"I'm gonna go grab us a ride outta here. Be ready to run when I give the signal!" shouted Sully as the guards pursuing them began firing their pistols down the hall.

"Be careful out there, Victor, these assholes are persistent!" replied Sam.

"What else would I do?" Sully joked as he broke off from the group and began heading for an exit. "See you two later!" he echoed down the corridor before escaping through the door on the side of the building.

Sam and Lily continued fleeing from the guards, eventually finding themselves on the balconies surrounding the estate rooftops. In the distance, a well-dressed man could be seen traversing the rooftops, dodging the fire from every guard in the area.

"Wait… that's Nathan!" exclaimed Sam.

"Don't move!" shouted a guard as a cluster of armed men flooded the area, surrounding the two bandits, who were back-to-back.

"Shoulda brought guns, shoulda brought guns," Sam uttered to himself. "Hey, uh… ya know that fire thing you can do? This would be a _really_ good time to use it!" he shouted to Lily.

"As you wish," she proclaimed with a smirk. "Duck!"

Sam bent over, covering his head. Lily crossed her arms, her hands open toward her face. Closing her eyes and lowering her chin, she focused energy into them, igniting a blazing blue flame in each hand. Opening her eyes, she crossed her feet and spun ballet-style, thrusting her arms outward, scorching the area. The guardians' flesh peeled from their bones, falling to the ground in charred, bloody shambles.

"... holy _shit,_" whispered a terrified Sam. Lily grabbed a gun from one of the fallen soldiers and offered her hand to Sam.

"Let's go save your brother!" she excitedly stated. Sam, slightly trembling, accepted the help as Lily pulled him to his feet.

"I think you'll need this more than I do," she said, slapping the pistol in his hand. "Let's go."

The two pursued Nate across the rooftops, swiftly cutting through any resistance as they closed in on him. Nate leapt to a round metal sign to use it as a makeshift shield, but it quickly buckled under his weight, dangling weakly from a single hinge. More guards were closing him from every visible rooftop.

"Nathan, catch!" shouted Sam, chucking the pistol to his brother, who fumbled with it before securing it with his free hand. The three began returning fire on the sentries, quickly cutting them down. Nate hopped across a few more platforms, landing in front of Sam and Lily.

"Nice shooting! You alright?" questioned Sam.

"A little scraped up, but I think I'll live. Say, do you guys smell something smokey?"

"Your daughter had to do her fire thing. I… wouldn't go back there if I were you," Sam recommended, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

"I've seen the result of her attacks before. It's not a pretty sight, but it gets the job done." he said, raising a hand in explanation. "You two get downstairs, I saw Sully out by the cars. I've got one more thing to take care of in the library. By the way, good work protecting this guy, Lil. Lord knows he can't do it himself."

"I told you, we shoulda brought guns!" Sam retorted as Nate chuckled.

The three galloped down a nearby flight of steps and split off at the bottom.

Sam and Lily sprinted toward the main hall, they were blocked by three hulking guards.

"That's enough, thieves. Hand over the cross and nobody gets hurt," the middle one said in a thick Italian accent, cracking his knuckles.

"Who says we have it? We were just trying to get away from all the cacophony!" explained Lily, a light smile covering her face.

"Security cameras, dumb bitch," he replied.

"Okay, I was gonna taunt you for a bit, but I think I'd rather shut that mouth of yours for good," Lily growled, the smile quickly turning to an expression of rage. "Hold this," she commanded Sam as she yanked the artifact from her shirt and shoved in his hands.

"What will you do, little girl? Tickle me to death?" the leader taunted, his two underlings laughing. Lily swiftly stomped toward the behemoth and buried her fist in his gut. He doubled over, clutching his abdomen and staggering backwards before falling to his knees. The other two men stumbled away in confusion and horror.

"Boo," she smirked, lifting her hands and lighting a blistering flame in each one. The color drained from their faces as they retreated down the hall screaming.

"Now, what to do with you?" she said, taking a fistful of the man's hair and lifting his head toward her. His mouth hung open as he quietly whimpered.

"Oh right, this is what I 'will do,'" she seethed, promptly burying her fist in the man's face erupting it into a spray of blood and teeth. She slammed his head into the floor, breaking the floorboards, and stomped on the back of his skull, crushing a small crater into it. A steady flow of blood seeped through the carpet as the man's body lay crumpled and motionless.

"Man, I sure am glad you're on our side!" exclaimed Sam.

"So am I," she grinned. "Let's keep going, we're almost there.

The hallway opened up to the balcony lining the auction hall, which was flooded with guards.

"You sneak over to the stairs down, I'll keep 'em busy!" instructed Lily.

"I'll leave you to it!" he said, keeping his head down as he crept to the opposite end of the platform. Lily leapt to the ground floor, landing quietly and effortlessly.

"Evening, gents! This is a bit different from other auctions I've been to; is this how it's normally done in Italy?"

The men's attention shot toward her, surprised by her sudden appearance.

The silence was broken as the commander shouted, "Open fire!"

Every gun in the room was focused on that single spot, sending out a dredge of dust and rubble.

"Hold!" he commanded. The room went silent. As the air cleared, their target was nowhere in sight.

"Wow, you guys are _really_ bad shots," Lily joked, having appeared behind the soldiers closest to the entrance. "Let me show you how it's done" She raised her left hand and snapped the fingers in her right, incinerating the room with a turquoise blast. Closing her hand, she let out a deep sigh. Sam emerged from the stairwell in the right corner adjacent to the entrance.

"You okay over there? Things really heated up for a sec," she called, jogging to reunite with her uncle.

"I decided it best to hang out in there while you cleaned up out here; I know how you fight. Also, pun acknowledged. You definitely get that from your dad."

Suddenly, a flurry of bullets began piercing the wall behind them as more guards rushed through the front door, guns blazing.

Sam and Lily took cover behind a nearby table which had been knocked over during the initial panic. All of a sudden, Nate crashed through the window stretching to the ceiling, rolling into cover and rejoining his group.

"Holy shit, Nathan?!" Sam exclaimed.

"Hey, how's it going?" he quipped.

"Uh… I think I'm done with this auction, huh?"

"Oh yeah, me too."

"All right, everyone, change of plans! Too many people trying to leave, the driveway's all jammed up," Sully informed through the earpieces. "There's a fountain just outside the ballroom. I'll meet you there!"

The wooden table began splintering.

"This table's not gonna last much longer. Lily, think you could get us outta here?" Nate requested.

"Psshh, can I get us outta here? You two stay in cover and watch what I can do; I came up with this one while on a job with Maddie."

Summoning a black and blue fire shield around her, Lily hovered out of cover, her hands raised to her sides, her right holding a blue flame and her left, a black one. The sclera and iris of her left eye turned black, with the iris turning a blue reminiscent of the other flames.

"Leave my family alone," she growled, jamming the two fireballs together, forming a massive sphere of flurrying ebony and turquoise flames. Holding it in front of her, she closed her eyes and flattened her hands behind it, breaking its surface tension and sending everything beyond her into an inky darkness.

She rapidly lowered to the ground and knelt on one knee, shaking and gasping for air. The darkness was slowly replaced by the pale moonlight. Nothing remained of the estate front but boulders and rubble.

"Lily…" breathed Nate.

"One part Chintamani, one part Djinn," she responded, weakly raising her head. "Let's get outta here."

She tried standing but stumbled against the wall as she grunted with exhaustion.

"Sam, help me with her," beckoned Nate. The two put her arms over their shoulders, lifting her to her feet and began heading for the exit.

The fountain area contained what remained of the guards. Sully had rammed their car through the adjacent gate.

"Do what you three do best and get your asses over here!" he shouted over the radio.

"There they are, get them!" one shouted. However, several retreated out of fear of Lily's destructive power.

"Where are you going?! Cowards!" he shouted, firing at the thieves. Nate and Sam retrieved their pistols and shot down the meager resistance before them. Piling into the vehicle, Sully smashed it into gear, squealing the tires as they tore down the road.

Returning to the hotel, Sam, Nate, and Sully lounged by the large table near the kitchen, recovering from the day's events. Lily entered the bedroom and retrieved her favorite lounging clothes from a duffel bag and changed in the bathroom. The four sat in silence as the boys sipped whisky from sparkling crystal glasses. Avery's cross sat in the center of the table. Sam set his glass on the surface and grabbed the artifact. Grasping the hammer resting on the table, he raised it over his head and smashed it down on the end of the cross, disintegrating it.

"I hope I don't go to hell for this," he said.

Nate, Lily and Sully leaned forward with anticipation as Sam glanced inside. Lily's heart dropped as Sam's eyes widened with fear.

"It's… empty!" he gasped.

"What?! You gotta be kidding me!" said Nate.

A slight chuckle spilled from Sam as he shook the cross above the table as a rolled up, faded piece of parchment slipped out.

"You're such an asshole…" Nate grunted.

"Ditto," Lily huffed.

"He's _your_ brother," Sully teased.

Sam gently spread the parchment open, carefully reading the aged ink strewn across the page.

"All right, skull and crossbones. Very good sign," Sully nodded.

"Yeah, that's Avery's insignia… what's this?" asked Sam pointing to the Lain words scribbled on the page.

"_Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso_," Nate read out loud.

"Today you will… join me in paradise," Lily translated.

"That's what Jesus said to Saint Dismas on the cross, but what about these numbers here? What do you make of this?" Sam thought out loud. "By the way, good job with that Latin, Lily."

"Some kind of code?" Sully suggested. "Or a phone number," he continued jokingly.

"They're dates!" Nate exclaimed.

"Dates?" questioned Sam.

"Look, sixteen fifty-nine," Nate read.

"That's the year Avery was born," Sam recited.

"… sixteen ninety-nine," Nate continued, pointing out a second date.

"Let me guess, the year he died?" Sully suggested.

"So if we have date of birth, date of death and 'paradise?'" Sam began.

"Seems to me like we'll be looking for his grave," Lily proposed.

"Whaddya bet we'll find it at the Saint Dismas Cathedral?" added Nate.

"Wait a second, hasn't Rafe been scouring that site for ages already?" inquired Sully.

"Yeah, but only at the cathedral. You see these symbols?" said Nate, pointing to the drawings on the parchment. "These are found on old Scottish Gravestones, right? Now look at this. The layout of this place is really unusual. Hang on, I'll grab an old journal from my bag."

"Hold on, who's Rafe again?" Lily asked.

"One of the biggest spooney assholes you'll ever meet. He inherited his parents' company and fortune and was using it to fund our search for Avery's treasure fifteen years ago. He's the one I was betting against tonight," Sully explained, taking a puff of his cigar.

"Yeah, he looks like a bit of a prick. Who puts that much gel in their hair?" Lily joked.

Returning from his bag in the corner, Nate laid his journal flat on the table and opened to a page containing a map of the cathedral grounds.

"Here's the cathedral," said Nate pointing to the upper right of the page. "But the graveyard is way over here," his hand hovering to the bottom left of the map.

"Rafe's been searching in the wrong area," Sam smirked.

"Exactly!" Nate nodded.

"Guys, we are going to Scotland!" Sam announced excitedly.

"Hold on a minute. You do realize that Rafe knows you're coming?" Sully interjected.

"Yeah, we can deal with that when we get there. We've got plenty of firepower backing us up," said Nate, gesturing to Lily. She once again snapped her fingers, producing a small burst of flames.

"That psycho would like nothing better than for you to show up."

"Yeah, but he doesn't have this. The biggest pirate treasure of all time is within our grasp."

"I thought this was about saving Sam?" Sully sighed.

"It is. But come on, it's both, right? We need the treasure so we can save Sam," said Nate.

"How's Elena cool with all of this?" inquired Sully.

He glanced at Nate and Lily as he awaited their answer. Lily's eyes widened, realizing they never informed Sully of their situation with Elena. Lily turned to Nate, hoping he had a proper response. Sully heaved a disappointing sigh after a few seconds passed without a reply.

"It's not that simple," said Nate.

"With all you three have been through together?"

"She wouldn't understand," Nate interjected.

"You're not giving her enough credit, Nate," Sully scowled. "… and I can't believe you convinced Lily to lie, too."

Lily wanted to defend Nate's decision but struggled to drum up the courage.

"I didn't want to take that chance," Nate interjected. "It'll be fine, she has no idea," he assured.

"Mom thinks I'm visiting Maddie, and we told her Dad's at a job site in Malaysia," Lily added as she tried to give Sully an authentic smile.

Sully's disapproving look hardened.

"I'm going to make a quick call, so if you'll excuse me," Nate announced as he pulled his phone from his pocket and began dialing as he walked to the balcony.

After Nate was out of earshot, Sully turned to Lily, his glare still sharpened.

"Hey, I tried to convince him… honestly," said Lily defensively. "Hell, I'm surprised I pulled it off, you know how bad at lying I am."

"You're a grown woman, Lillian, you should know better than this," he grunted. Lily's gut sunk.

"You can tone it down with the whole parenting act, Sullivan. Nathan can make his own decisions."

Sully and Lily shot a glance at Sam. Lily could feel the unspoken anger Sam held against Sully.

"So you wouldn't tell someone when they're doing something stupid?" Sully retorted.

"He's doing this to save my life! If their marriage is as strong as you all make it sound, they'll be fine, even if she does find out!" Sam stated, raising his voice.

"If he told her, she'd be here helping us!"

"I'm not so sure about that," Nate said, reentering the room. "Sam, I… I never told her about you. Same goes for Lily. After I lost you, I figured it didn't matter anymore, and it was too painful bringing up those memories, but that apparently isn't the case. I just got off the phone with her letting her know the job would take a little longer, so it's fine."

"See? We've got this. Let's get some rest; we're gonna need it for tomorrow," Lily concluded.

Sam sighed. "She's right. Sorry I yelled at ya, Victor."

"Same here," Sully replied.

"Now, _hug,_" Lily joked, smiling tiredly.

"Let's not take it that far," Sully replied with a grin as he got up and headed toward the kitchen.

"Ah, come on, Sully! Not even for old time's sake?" Sam chuckled, following Sully to the kitchen to continue his antagonizing.

Nate reclaimed his seat at the table and began cleaning up the papers. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing by not telling her the truth, Lily?"

The two sat in a momentary silence.

"Dad, I can understand not wanting to open Pandora's Box, but they have a point too. In hindsight, it may have been better to tell her, but we can't go back at this point. Let's just make the best of the current situation. Don't worry, it'll be alright."

"Thanks," he said tiredly, standing and patting her shoulder. He placed the documents with the bags and headed to bed. "See you in the morning," he waved before disappearing into the room.

Lily's chin rested on her palm and recollected the night's events. Her mind wandered to Rafe, the man who mistook her for someone named Mary earlier this evening, thinking it strange he would know someone who shares a name with her mother, someone she hadn't thought about since their time in Mexico.

She made for the bedroom when her phone chimed a familiar tune, pulling it from her pocket and glancing down to find Elena's name flashing on the screen.

Reluctantly answering it, she raised it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lil. How was your flight?" Elena greeted.

A knot in Lily's stomach tightened knowing she forgot to contact Elena once they landed.

"I'm definitely gonna have jet lag all week. I just got off the plane, and _yikes_ what a flight. Tons of turbulence, and the two I was seated between wouldn't stop snoring," Lily falsely recalled.

"Oh man, I know the feeling all too well," she joked. "Is Maddie with you?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Lily's cheek as she fidgeted in place.

"I'm about to meet her at baggage claim."

"Gotcha. Well, I won't hold you much longer."

"Are you going to be alright there by yourself? I can come home early if you want," Lily offered.

"I'll be fine, I'm tough. Be careful and have fun. Love you!" Elena assured.

"I love you too, Mom. See you in a few weeks,"

"Bye!" Elena finished. Lily sighed as her mom's line fell silent, leaving her feeling empty.

Once Lily finished her call, the group arranged travel plans and turned in for the night. Lily crawled into bed and quickly passed out, exhausted from fighting so strenuously.

Lily found herself back in Shambhala as a warm glow enveloped her. Her back was pressed tightly against a giant tree trunk as Lazarević stormed the grounds. An endless forest surrounded the Tree of Life, which constantly leaked glowing turquoise sap. Nate collapsed from exhaustion as he struggled to find cover. Lily peeked out to find Lazarević digging his fingers into Nate's hair and dragging him to his feet. He wrapped his massive arm around Nate's neck, locking him in a tight grip. As Nate flailed, Lazarević pressed his pistol against Nate's head.

"Girl!" Lazarević shouted.

Lily flinched from the sudden roar.

"If you don't return what is rightfully mine, I'll put a bullet in Drake's head!" he threatened.

Lily scrambled for a defensive response.

"It doesn't work that way! Let my father go, he has nothing to do with this!"

"Drake has _everything _to do with this! You're nothing without him!"

"Go to hell!" Nate spat.

Lazarević struck Nate with his pistol, knocking him to his knees.

"I will count to three. If you don't give me your power, Drake dies because of your mistake!" Lazarević demanded.

"Don't listen to him, Lil! Get out of here!" Nate insisted as he endeavored to fight Lazarević's powerful grasp.

Lily froze as she contemplated on obeying Nate's plea.

"One!" Lazarević began.

"I told you, it doesn't work that way! This can't be transferred between people!" Lily insisted as blue flames began consuming her.

"Two!" Lazarević barked.

"I'll do anything you want! Just… don't hurt him!" Lily begged, the flames growing more immense.

"Three!" Lazarević whispered maniacally.

Nate's horrified expression mirrored Lily's as a loud pop rang in her ears, the fire devouring what remained of her body.

Her eyes flung open as she shot up. She took a deep breath, realizing she was safe in the hotel room. She flopped back onto her pillow and stared at the ceiling, dimly lit from the outside lights.

"Hey, you okay? You're trembling," Nate worried as he sat up in bed next to her. His heart dropped as he turned on a lamp, revealing her face, which had turned severely pale.

"Y-yeah, I just had a nightmare," Lily choked. "We were fighting Lazarević and I… I wasn't able to save you," she cried.

"Oh, crap. Is this the first time this happened?" he questioned.

"No… almost every night," she whimpered.

"C'mere, it's alright," he said, wrapping his arms around his daughter. "I know this life can be hard, but you've gotta talk to me about this stuff. We're both great fighters, and you have full control of your powers now. You don't have to worry about me, okay? I'll always be fine."

"Uh-huh," she wept softly.

The two sat there until Lily's gentle crying slipped back into slumber. Nate lightly placed her back on the pillow and turned the light off, sending the room into silence for the rest of the night.


	4. The Grave of Snow and Ice

The chilled morning air sent a shock through Lily as they hurried to the airport. The Italian sun peeked over the horizon, illuminating Sully's plane resting on the freeway. The family piled into the cabin as Sully hustled to the cockpit. Lily claimed a seat next to Sam as Nate sat across from them.

Once Sully took off, Sam and Lily created games to learn more about each other. Nate watched as they answered questions relating to history or pop culture they enjoyed, however they ran out halfway through the flight. As the plane became quiet, Nate rested his head against the wall and tried to sleep.

Lily quickly became bored and wanted to continue the conversation.

"So, Alcázar, huh? I've heard of him before; what's he like?"

Sam fidgeted with the question, responding "Uh… he's really rough and intimidating. Heavy accent, of course, but excellent at speaking English. Obviously a good leader, judging by how many men he was giving orders to, and he's a good listener if he's not trying to get something out of ya; I told him about Avery several times, although that may not have been the best idea. I thought I was gonna die there, so no point in keeping it a secret, right?"

"Think he could take me?" she joked, smirking.

"Lil, I doubt anyone could take you. Ya destroyed half of the Rossi Estate, remember?" he quipped.

"Just checking," she winked. "Wouldn't be the first time we encountered someone like me."

"There's… _more?_" he gasped.

"Not anymore, but that's a story for another time."

"Can't wait," he smiled. "Hey Victor, what airport are we landing at?"

"Airport? Kid, there aren't any airports within fifty miles of this place. You guys are parachuting in."

"I'm sorry, I think I had trouble hearing you over the engines. Did you say we're gonna parachute down to the cathedral?" he choked.

"That's right!" Sully laughed.

Nate awoke and rubbed his eyes.

"What's all the racket?"

"Dad, did you know about us parachuting in?" Lily questioned.

"I don't even like flying, so I probably put it out of my mind until we get there," he shrugged. "How long until we're there?"

"Five minutes," Sully responded, checking the clock built into the instrument panel.

The group took the rest of the time gathering supplies and reviewing the rules of skydiving.

As Nate made sure Lily's parachute was secure, he gave her one last instruction: "Count to five, pull the cord."

Sully pressed a button, opening the side door.

"It's now or never! I'll be landing in the water on the eastern side of the island!" he shouted over the rushing wind.  
"See you guys down there!" Nate whooped as he leapt from the plane.

Lily and Sam stood staring at each other.

"You, uh… you go first," he said nervously.

"No way, if I go first, you might get cold feet and take a million years walking to us from the water. You're jumping," she demanded.

"You're good," he smirked, wagging his finger. Poking his head from the safety of the cabin, he stared toward the ground.

"Oh shit," he spoke breathlessly. "... push me," he requested.

"My pleasure!" Lily shouted, gently nudging her uncle from the plane, sending him screaming through the air and herself following closely after.

"Onetwothreefourfive!" she thought out loud, shakenly remembering her father's instructions. The parachute ballooned from its bag, swiftly taking form and slowing Lily's decent. However, the force of the slowdown ripped the parachute from her body, sending her into a freefall. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the ground rushed up toward her. Closing her eyes, she focused energy around her body, creating a bright blue aura which sent matching embers chasing into the sky. She turned her back toward the ground as she flew passed Nate and Sam, waving before she turned toward her destination.

Crossing her arms in front of her, she summoned a flame shield and blasted toward the mountain below. Bracing herself, she crashed into the Earth, shattering a crater around her impact point. She rolled onto her back and laid there, tired yet unscathed from the collision. Deciding to wait for Nate and Sam to finish their descent, she sat her head on the dirt and closed her eyes for a quick break.

"Lily! Lily, are you okay?!" she heard as she was being shaken from her rest. Opening her eyes, she saw a worried Nate and Sam standing over her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That took a ton of energy, so I needed to relax for a bit."

Nate helped her up and patted the dust from her back. "So what happened to counting to five?" he pondered.

"I did… sorta. Does it count if I do it really fast?"

"You've gotta be kidding," he laughed, adjusting his backpack. "Do you wanna just skip the parachute next time? You obviously don't need it."

"How about we just not jump from planes anymore. Deal?"

"Where do I sign?" Sam added, smirking.

"Ditto," chuckled Nate. "C'mon, let's get going. The cathedral shouldn't be far from here," he informed, pulling out his map.

As they started walking, Lily shuffled up beside Sam.

"So, got any stories about Daddy-O here?" she said, pointing her thumb at Nate.

"Oh, do I ever! Has he told you about his magic phase?" he asked, waving his fingers whimsically through the air.

"_Magic_ phase?" she parroted.

"Sam, please," Nate petitioned.

"He called himself 'Nate the Great,'" Sam continued. "My favorite part was right after he picked up the hobby. Every time he tried to shuffle cards, they would end up scattered all over the floor. Oh, and one time, his pet rabbit escaped and left all these little 'treats' for Father Duffy to pick up. To his credit, he got pretty good, but it took a looong time."

"That would explain all the card tricks he would show me shortly after we met," she responded.

"You've still got it?" Sam questioned, turning to his brother.

"After all that practice I did, it's like riding a bike, now."

"Yeah, I know, ya never forget. But Nathan, you never learned how to ride a bike, remember? Mine was the only one we ever had."

"I did!" he retorted. "… I can do it now, it just took a while."

"How long?" Sam prodded.

"Ten years after the prison," Nate sighed.

"Ten years?! Oh, Nathan, that's sad," Sam laughed loudly.

"I never had a reason to!"

"Never had a reason to. Hah!" Sam mocked.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Nate said, waving his hands. "We're nearly there, anyway. Look, there's the cathedral," he notified, pointing at the steeple peeking over the trees.

The three continued down the grassy hill as they slid down loose gravel and jumped from boulders.

"A Scottish cathedral, sure is a strange place to bury your treasure, no?" said Sam.

"Not really, by the time Avery sailed here, the place was already abandoned," Nate advised. "I guess that's true. Plus with the massive bounty on his head, this would be a good place to hide," Sam agreed.

Silence fell, only to be broken by the crunch of gravel beneath their shoes.

"So, what happened between you and Rafe?" inquired Sam.

"I couldn't deal with him, and I'm pretty sure he had enough of me. I was still coming to grips with your uh… 'death,' and with his frustration from not finding the treasure. I'm pretty sure he was ready to kill me by the time I bailed," Nate explained hesitantly.

"I can't imagine what he'd do to you now," Sam pondered.

"Yeah, I'm trying not to. But Sam, listen, he's ruthless, even more so than when we teamed up with him. I've heard stories," said Nate.

"Me too, which is all the more reason I don't feel bad about any of this," Sam nodded.

"I'll cook him if he gets close to either of you," Lily threatened.

"Yeah, I've seen what you can do. I'm sure we'll be fine," Sam chuckled.

They approached a splintered tree stump perched on a cliff side. Nate peered over the edge, judging the distance to the ground continuing into the graveyard.

"This looks strong enough to hold," Nate concluded.

He hooked his grapple tightly around the log. Nate took a deep breath and propelled to the ground with Sam and Lily following suit. Giving it a shake, the hook unlatched from its mount and pulled itself from the ledge. Nate reattached it to his belt and they hurried to their next destination. Marked by the name Shoreline, large containers covered in excavation equipment dotted the mountain leading to a decrepit brick structure. Lily's attention drifted to a pile of papers. Upon closer inspection, she found scattered maps and instructions written in cursive scribbles, the bottom of each being marked by a flowing signature: Mary.

_That name again_, Lily thought.

A loud pop shot off from near the structure, followed by several others. Soldiers, armed with rifles, began sweeping in from every crevice of the mountain, each firing at the Drakes, who had quickly taken cover behind several crates. Lily quietly counted the number of soldiers scattered through the area.

"Only eight?! Come on, guys, you're gonna have to do better than that!" she shouted. Stepping from cover, she ignited a pillar of flame around her. The soldiers, taken by surprise, froze for a moment before resuming their assault, which had now been directed at her. Each bullet vaporized before they could make an impact; she stood there with her arms folded, intentionally looking bored. The barrage stopped as the soldiers quickly realized their guns had no effect. Suddenly several sticks of sparkling dynamite filled the air as they piled at Lily's feet.

"Oh?" she said, unphased by the pile of explosives surrounding her. She gave Nate a smile and a thumbs up as the ground beneath her collapsed in a flurry of blazing smoke. Nate stared sternly at the cloud of dust, waiting for it to clear. Sam's face, however, became white as a ghost, horrified at what he thought was the death of his niece.

A blinding blue flame flared from the crater, swirling the soot into the sky as Lily climbed out and dusted a bit of dirt from her arm. The soldiers stood wordless, frozen in fear.

"My turn!" Lily announced. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared, seemingly becoming a turquoise beam of light which darted between each soldier, smacking them into the stone mountain walls and sending long cracks through the rock. Their bodies slumped to the ground, lifeless.

"That was easy," she said, dusting off her hands. "Let's keep moving!"

Nate and Sam joined Lily as they continued their venture up the mountain. The sky was mostly cloudy, with the sun peeking through once every so often. The air was becoming increasingly chilly, and a snowflake or two would sometimes flutter by.

The graveyard stretched to the edge of the mountain, consisting of nothing more than a sheer cliff. Decaying gravestones littered the area, several marked by the jolly roger inhabitants. Names accompanied by dates were intricately carved, some of them dating back to the eighteen hundreds.

"Welcome to the Saint Dismas dormitory, alleged final resting place of Henry Avery," Nate greeted.

"That gave me chills, Dad," Lily teased.

"Alright, so we're looking for Avery's alias," Nate informed.

"Which was Benjamin Bridgeman, right?" Lily recited.

"Right, along with crossed cutlasses and the dates sixteen fifty-nine and sixteen-ninety nine," Sam added.

"Right, plus a skull and crossbones. Let's split up, we'll cover more ground this way," Nate suggested and the three branched out into the graveyard.

Lily carefully skimmed the gravestones as she drifted across the grounds. She held her arms as a piercing chill blew, causing her cheeks to go numb.

"Hey Lil, why is pirating so addictive?" asked Sam.

"Why?" Lily chuckled.

"They say once ye lose yer first hand, ye get _hooked_."

The two burst into laughter, which echoed through the mountainside.

"Ooh, I've got one," Lily said, regaining her composure. "How did the pirate get his jolly roger so cheaply?"

"How?" Sam chuckled.

"He got it on _sail_!" Lily smirked.

The two continued trading jokes as they searched for Avery's grave.

"Mom always said I was the funny one," Sam bragged.

"I can be funny too!" Nate huffed.

"It's true, he told me ones where I had tears in my ears from laughing so hard," Lily added.

"Really? Let's hear one!" Sam encouraged.

Nate wracked his brain for a joke.

"What's a pirate's favorite letter?" Nate began.

"R?" Lily replied.

"Nay, his first love be the C."

Lily and Sam glanced at each other, smirking.

"That wasn't… awful," Sam noted.

"Dad has a ton of joke books at home. You'll have to read through some of them," Lily informed.

"You need joke books, Nathan?" Sam said judgingly.

"Okay, we get it, Sam's the cool one," Nate sighed irritably.

"I think you're both pretty cool," Lily smiled.

Nate shot Lily a loving glance.

"Thanks, Lil."

The brown grass crunched beneath their feet as they neared the cliffside. Lily peeked over the ledge, peering into a fearsome drop to the icy ocean below. A stray rock fell into the crashing waves as Lily stepped away. Glancing to her right, she found a particularly well-chiseled gravestone. Upon closer inspection, she found the name Benjamin Bridgeman carved between the dates 1659-1699 above, with a stone skull mounted in a hole below. Ornate flourishings were sculpted around the skull's insert, and crossbones were inlaid below it.

"Hey guys, you might wanna come see this!" she called.

Nate and Sam rushed over to the grave Lily found.

Examining it, Nate began thinking aloud, "Benjamin Bridgeman, the dates are right… skull and crossbones… I think this is it!"

"Hold on, Nathan, isn't the skull supposed to be…" Sam interjected, placing his hand on the skull.

"Sideways!" the two said in unison, as Sam turned the skull to the right. As the ground rumbled, stone stairs shattered the ice and snow mounted atop them as they sunk into the earth.

"Oh my God," exclaimed Nate.

Laughing, Sam dashed down the stairs shouting, "You ready for this?!" as Nate and Lily followed shortly behind.

"I know you are," Nate chuckled.

The bottom of the stairs led to a crypt filled with corpses and covered with dust and spider webs.

"Geez, I haven't been in a place like this in a long time," Lily commented.

"Yeah, I just hope these ones stay dead," he nervously joked.

At the end of the crypt stood a stone wall, mounted with three crucifixes. On the other side sat a door covered in dark blue dots of glass, varying in size.

"Woah, the gang's all here. Jesus… Dismas on the left…" Nate began.

"Penitent thief," Sam added.

"Gestas on the right…"

"Jerk thief," Lily finished. "Avery sure had a thing for Saint Dismas, huh?"

"Well, Avery fancied himself a 'good thief,' right? Only plundered and murdered the non-British heathens," Sam advised.

"If that's what a good thief is, then I've been ill-informed," Lily quipped.

"I guess that's what passed for 'good' back then," Nate laughed.

Walking to the other side of the wall, Nate found a small cup containing a wick dipped in oil.

"Hold on, I'll get it," offered Lily, lighting a flame at the tip of her index finger. Dipping it in the oil, the flames danced through lines along the wall, eventually igniting small pits below each cross on the other side.

"Well, isn't that something?" Nate said, intrigued.

"Hey, the light's coming through over here, too," notified Lily. She began adjusting the metal controls sitting behind the flames. "It looks like you can aim the lights at those dots on the wall."

"So it seems. Here we… go…" Nate agreed, aiming the rusty magnifiers toward the glass inlays. As the final beam settled into place, a handle on the lower-left of the dots began glowing.

"Oohh, hello," Sam smirked, excitedly turning it, causing the room to quake momentarily as the stone doors slid aside, revealing a large window installed in the side of the mountain. Fixed in the window were four circles connected by thin lines. Each circle highlighted a cross in the distance, with a cave resting in the middle, also tucked behind a circle.

"Open sesame," Sam said.

"Wrong treasure," Nate corrected.

"Shush," Sam hushed. "Well, nice view. No treasure, though."

"No, but… look, you see those crosses?" Nate mentioned.

"Oh, yeah. Hey, is that a cave right below?"

"Yeah. I think Avery's trying to tell us where to go next. There's one problem, though; going back that way means we have to go back toward the cathedral."

"And back towards Rafe," Lily added. "Remember, I can take whatever he surprises us with."

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Sam beckoned.

The party returned to the entrance. Snow flurries danced above as they stepped outside the crypt. The bitter cold chilled through Lily's damp clothes as she began to shiver. The three of them chatted to pass the time during their trek. Static cracked from the radio placed on Nate's hip.

"Hey kid, what's your status?" questioned Sully on the other end.

"Hi, Sully. We're on the trail, but the treasure's closer to the cathedral than we originally thought," Nate informed.

"Oh boy. What do you need me to do?"

"Just keep those engines warm, we'll be back before too long,"

"You got it, keep me posted!" said Sully.

"Will do," Nate was about to hang up when Lily reached over and smirked as she grabbed the radio.

"Miss you gramps, wish you were here!" Lily called over the speaker.

"You keeping those two in line over there?"

"As much as humanly possible," she joked.

Nate gave Lily a friendly nudge as he tucked the radio back on his belt.

While scaling the cliffs, Lily spotted whales leaping from the ocean surface.

"Dad, check it out!" Lily shouted over the wind, pointing to the animals.

"Now that's something you don't see everyday!" Nate commented.

"We'll have to do some proper whale watching sometime," she suggested.

"That sounds great, Lil."

"Back in prison, I never would've imagined I'd be watching whales while climbing a mountain, let alone in Scotland!" Sam exclaimed.

As the conversation ran dry, they continued walking in silence broken only by the howling wind.

"Man, I could sure use a cup of hot cocoa right now," Nate thought out loud.

"What are you, five?" Sam teased.

"Tell me you wouldn't go for some hot cocoa right now," Nate smirked.

"I mean… yeah," Sam shrugged.

"_Exactly_!" exclaimed Nate.

"I'm definitely gonna make a cup of it when we get home," Lily chuckled.

"You'd better make me one," Nate nodded.

"I get to join, right?" Sam questioned,

"Of course!" Lily smiled.

Finally arriving at the cave, they found the entrance guarded by three wooden crosses. A blue flame rested on Lily's palm as they entered the menacing labyrinth, illuminating the walls. Lily's eyes panned to the roof of the cave, where smooth stone carved into columns reached the top of the chamber. Memories of their early cave exploring days flooded her mind as she gazed at its natural beauty.

"I'm glad Avery chose Staffa for his 'grave.' I love these basalt columns; it's almost like a bunch of people put this here!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I always wanted to come here, but as soon as I got stuck in that prison, I never thought I'd get to. I guess you never know what the future holds, huh?" replied Sam, exhibiting a calm joy.

Nate and Sam shifted towards Lily for warmth. Sam reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve a single cigarette and lowered it closer to Lily's flame.

"Can I borrow this?"

Lily swung her hand away from Sam and her eyes narrowed.

"Absolutely not! I won't light Sully's cigars, so I'm sure as hell not gonna do it for you!" Lily scolded.

"Damn, you sound like Father Duffy," Sam pouted as he slipped the cigarette back in his pocket.

"Father Duffy?" Lily inquired.

"The Pastor who ran the orphanage Nathan and I belonged to. He was a great guy but he always took my cigarettes," Sam explained.

"I'm about to follow his example," Nate threatened. "I always hated those things."

"My flames are for our protection _only_. Not to help damage your lungs," Lily reminded them.

"Alright, I get it, you guys don't like me smoking. I'll try not to do it around you," Sam affirmed.

"Or you could just not do it at all?" Lily winked.

"Heh, good luck breaking this habit," he replied.

The pathway transformed into twisting, narrow passages as they descended further. Sam listened intently as Nate and Lily recounted their past adventures. At the bottom of a steep descent, they came across a stone door resting within the wall. A square hole about the size of a man's arm was installed to the right. Nate peeked inside but the tunnel was engulfed in darkness.

"Is that a lever of some kind?" Lily suggested.

Nate lifted his arm and slowly slid it into the crevasse. He cringed as his hand drifted over material that felt similar to wet moss.

"Eugh, a bit slimy," Nate commented.

His fingers wrapped around a rusty pole at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, there's something here, I think I can tug on it," Nate informed.

"G-give it a pull," Sam encouraged.

Nate and Lily shot a glance at Sam.

"Pull something in a hole, in a _pirate cave_?" asked Lily.

"What? He's already in there, What's the worst that can happen?" Sam shrugged.

"Uh, I can lose my hand," Nate rebutted.

"I can pull it if you want," Lily offered.

"Then you could lose _your_ hand," Nate interjected.

"I fell from a plane and landed without a scratch on me," said Lily defensively.

"Can you grow an extra limb?"

"I… haven't tried it yet," Lily admitted.

"Exactly, I'd rather me than you."

"… we could always get you a nice hook," Sam suggested.

"Like he said, pirating gets you _hooked_!" Lily exclaimed, recalling Sam's joke from earlier as Nate's eyes narrowed.

"Haha, very funny," Nate said sarcastically.

He gave the lever a tug and a loud click shook the walls as the door was tugged away, allowing them inside. A gruesome scene of skeletons trapped in metal cages dangled above intricate statues.

"Interesting decor," Sam commented as they strode inside.

A rotted sign was attached by chains to the cage nearest to them. Lily lifted her arm so the glow of her flame illuminated the room.

"For those who prove worthy, paradise awaits," Nate began.

"For those who prove false, behold your grim fate," Lily finished. "Yeesh, talk about dramatic."

"Well, Avery was a better pirate than poet," said Sam.

"This isn't Avery," said Nate.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

A drawing of a partially crooked arm wielding a sword was placed in between the grim message.

"Oh you're right, this is Thomas Tew's sigil," Lily added.

"The Rhode Island pirate," Sam nodded. "It can't be him, though… I mean this is clearly his sigil, but…" he began.

"He died attacking the same treasure fleet as Avery," Lily recited.

"Yeah, well, that's what the stories tell us," Nate shrugged.

"If this is really Tew's mark… then that means he's involved in all of this. But how?" Sam thought out loud.

"That's a good question," Nate agreed.

"Who do you think these guys were? Anyone important?" asked Lily, inspecting the cages and the skeletons contained within.

"Those who prove false, I guess. I think Avery or Tew are just trying to scare us," Sam replied.

"I've seen worse," Lily shrugged as they continued through the cavern. "I've _done_ worse."

The cave spiraled deeper into the earth, tightening the passageways and forcing the group to travel in tight spaces.

They come across bridges, several of which were in shambles due to harsh weather and years of abandonment. The trio approached one that was barely holding on by frail rope. Most of the planks were missing but deemed sturdy enough to cross.

"These bridges are clearly not built to code," Sam chuckled nervously as he peered over the edge.

"Sure they are… the pirate code," Nate joked.

Lily and Sam smirked at Nate.

"Look at you," Lily praised as she stared at her father.

"What can I say? I learn from the best," Nate shrugged.

"He means me," Sam grunned.

Nate was about to walk across when Lily's arm prevented him from advancing.

"Why don't I go first? You tend to break everything you touch," Lily suggested.

"He still does that?!" Sam laughed.

"That always happened?!"

"Yeah, back at the orphanage, he was always breaking stuff. The nuns joked about giving him oven mitts when he had to touch anything that wasn't his," he laughed.

"That's hilarious!" Lily chucked.

"Hey, those were the most comfortable mitts I've ever worn!" defended Nate. "Just… be careful, that's a long drop, but I'm sure you'd just dig another cave if you fell," Nate informed.

"Don't worry, Dad. It's nothing I can't handle," Lily assured as she approached the bridge cautiously. The bridge shifted from wind sweeping through the cave as Lily took her first step. The boards creaked as she walked slowly across. Suddenly a snap echoed through the caverns as the ropes suspending the bridge snapped. In a split second, Lily held on to the board beneath her feet as the bridge plummeted into the wall on the other side, which nearly shook her loose. Taking a deep sigh, she climbed up what remained of the bridge and hoisted herself onto solid ground.

"Well, crap," exclaimed Nate. "What now?"

"Hmm… how about you guys toss me your grapples and I'll hold them while you swing across?

"I can't think of anything better. Whaddya think, Nathan?" asked Sam.

"Sure, just be careful. Sam's heavier than he looks."

"Is that a fat joke?" quipped Sam.

The brothers tossed the hooks of their grappling ropes to Lily, who dug her feet into the rocks as she prepared to bear the weight of her dad and uncle. Counting down from three, Nate and Sam dropped from the ledge and slammed into the cliff on the other side, barely stopping themselves during the swing. Slowly, they climbed to safety as Lily walked backwards to aid their ascent.

"Oof, my knees are gonna feel that tomorrow," he said, assuaging his legs.

"C'mon, little brother, if I can take it, so can you," Sam boasted, patting Nate's back.

"Yeah, well, you had fifteen years to relax in a cell. I had to do stuff like this the whole time."

"Would you two stop bickering? I think we're almost to the end," Lily interrupted.

The group continued climbing through the cave. As they traversed the rocks, faint murmuring could be heard from a hole in the wall through which light was leaking. Peeking in, Lily saw Rafe standing by a table covered in maps. With him were two women, one on his left, the other directly adjacent from him. The woman on the left was tall, muscular, and dark-skinned. Her large, curled afro enveloped her head, revealing only her face, her eyes stinging at Rafe as he berated them. She sported a turtleneck covered in a thick, pocketed winter jacket which extended slightly passed the waistline of her industrial-style black jeans. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table stood a woman with long, raven hair who looked to be around Sully's age. Having shabby, peachy skin and light blue eyes, she was donned in a white shirt tucked into thick blue jeans, with a warm leather jacket covering the ansamble. She tiredly watched Rafe and the other woman arguing as she rested both hands on the table.

"My men made more progress in two days than we had in months!" the dark woman barked. Her South African accent fluently punching through every word.

"She is right Rafe, we were getting nowhere," the second woman agreed in a Bostonian accent.

"Have you seen the damage her men caused, Mary? Can _you _analyze rubble?" Rafe seethed.

"No, but I'm able to continue my research because of them," Mary replied.

"Alright, if it makes you feel better, I'll have them come to you before they do anything drastic," the dark woman offered.

"Or you can tell them to sit tight until I analyze the few clues that haven't been blown up yet," suggested Rafe.

"No, we can't wait any longer," the dark woman interjected.

"These excavations take time, Nadine. You can't rush them," Mary informed.

"With all due respect, we have more experience with this than you do," said Rafe.

"We tried things your way!" shouted Nadine.

"Bullshit, you've been wanting to level with this place ever since we got here," Rafe cursed.

"No, I wanted to steal that cross long before it ever made it to that auction. The same auction where I couldn't have my men around to deal with any surprises!" exclaimed Nadine.

"The auction was the cleanest way to get the cross," Rafe reminded.

"But instead of going with my gut, I listened to you and now we have competition," Nadine huffed.

"Well I didn't think he'd show up!" Rafe snapped.

"… or maybe you wanted to draw him out?"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because you think you need him."

The room fell nearly silent, with the only noise being Mary organizing documents from around the table.

"My point is, I'm done doing things the clean way, if the treasure is here, we'll find it. If not, well, maybe it's time to move on. It's nothing personal," Nadine threatened. Rafe said nothing as Nadine ran her finger over his cheek.

"I'll let you know if anything turns up," Nadine whispered seductively as she swaggered the room.

As the door slammed, Rafe stomped over to Mary.

"I didn't appreciate you going against me; you know your place. You work for me," Rafe demanded loudly, causing her to flinch.

"Y-yes, Rafe. I'm sorry," Mary stuttered.

"Give me your notes once you're done," Rafe grunted as he stormed away.

"Yes sir," Mary whispered even though she was alone.

Lily watched as Mary pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to recollect herself from the tension of the argument.

"Hey, let's get moving before they blow the treasure to bits," Nate insisted.

"Or start making out," Sam joked.

"Tell me about it," Lily agreed.

"Do you think she was right?" questioned Sam.

"About what?" asked Nate.

"About Rafe, wanting to draw you out?"

"As long as he doesn't get the upper hand, who cares? It doesn't matter," Nate shrugged.

"Dad," Lily called.

Nate glanced back at her.

"I've been seeing and hearing Mary's name everywhere since the Rossi estate. You don't think it could be my real mother… do you? She does look pretty similar to the woman I've seen in pictures."

"That's impossible. Elena found documents confirming she was dead," Nate interjected.

"People have faked their deaths before, why couldn't it be like that now?"

"Judging by the amount of evidence we found, I doubt it is. I'm sorry, I know how it feels to want your mom back."

"It's fine, she never really was my mom. Elena took that spot," Lily smiled. Nate returned a bright grin.

"If you two saps are done, can we get moving? I'd like to get through here before I die of old age," quipped Sam.

"Sure, let's go," agreed Nate.

The three of them fought their way through an array of dangerous traps and tests set by Avery before finally finding themselves in an echoing chamber. In the middle sat a perfectly weighted set of scales placed upon a thick stone pedestal. On the scales sat a bejeweled golden cross and a pile of bronze coins.

"It's another cross," noted Sam. "At least this one has jewels on it, right?"

"Whoa, Whoa, don't… touch it," Nate warned.

"What? Why?"

"Look at it. It's the only valuable thing we've seen in this cave."

"… right."

"This is another test."

"Greed."

"Or lack thereof."

"Okay, so… it's gotta be the coins, right?"

"Yeah, I think so.

"Remember, Sam, just one," interjected Lily.

"Got it. Greed. Please don't be a trap," he uttered as he grabbed a single coin from the tray.

The shift in weight enabled the cross to fully press down its side of the scales, causing a series of gears along the ceiling to turn, rotating the roof and revealing a large ornate window which, when penetrated by sunlight, drew a map on the floor.

"Whoa, you recognize the shape?" Nate laughed

"It's Madagascar," Sam replied.

"Look, the star right here," Lily said, pointing to a star carved into the stone beneath her feet.

"That's King's Bay," Sam informed. "Son of a bitch. He's screwing with us…" he chuckled sourly.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Nate.

"Avery. He's screwing with us. This was supposed to be it, so where's the goddamned treasure, huh? I mean, King's Bay? Great, but what's next? North Pole? Outer Space?"

Nate stood there, lost in thought.

"Nathan?"

"For those who prove worthy… Paradise awaits. Avery… he was recruiting."

"Recruiting for what?"

Before Nate could reply, an explosion shattered a wall adjacent to the entrance. As light poured through the newly-formed exit, the silhouettes of Mary and Nadine could be seen strutting through, followed by several armed soldiers. Shortly after entering the room, Lily noticed Mary curiously eyeing her necklace on several occasions.

"Ah, crap," Nate cursed.

"You all are very, very noisy. Guns on the floor," Nadine ordered as Nate and Sam complied with her command. "Rafe. Rafe, come in." she spoke into her radio.

"I'm at the graveyard. Nadine, they were here," he crackled from the other end.

"Yeah, I'm looking at them right now."

"What? Where are you?"

"Come back to the cathedral. Follow the holes."

"I'm on my way. And for God's sake don't shoot them yet!"

"Might want to hurry, then."

"So, Nadine, throwing me out a window didn't do it for you?" Nate sassed.

"Definitely not. So, King's Bay?" she said, motioning to the map on the floor.

"Yeah but, uh… where in King's Bay? You'll need that cross over there to figure it out. But… there's only three people who can tell you how to use it," Sam instructed.

"Let me guess… you three."

"Well, you wanna leave it to Rafe, you're gonna be waiting a long time," Nate advised.

"Sorry, boys. I'm not here to negotiate. Bring me the crucifix," she demanded one of the soldiers.

"It's not a crucifix," Nate interjected.

"What?" Nadine huffed.

"Well, technically a crucifix refers to a cross that… ya know what, never mind."

"Don't touch it!"

Before the soldier could react to her command, he grabbed the cross, causing the scales to tip in the other direction. The room's gears grinded in the opposite direction, initiating small explosions around the ring carved in the floor, which began crumbling into a deep, spiked pit. Nate and Sam were mere inches from the collapse, while Lily and several soldiers were swallowed by the gaping maw.

"Lillian!" she heard Mary shout as she fell, barely catching herself on the side of a toppling pillar. Nadine was able to leap to the edge of the pit, narrowly grabbing by her fingertips, yelling for her men to shoot Nate and Sam as she pulled herself up.

"Let's get out of here, this whole place is coming down," she motioned to Mary as the two escaped. Mary took a long, slightly worried glance as she escaped.

Sam and Nate had taken cover behind a fallen column, weaponless and unable to defend themselves. Gripping tightly to the pillar, Lily blasted the rocks above a group of soldiers who were flanking Nate and Sam, crushing them and scattering their weapons to the floor. The brothers quickly armed themselves and began clambering toward the exit. Lily focused power into her legs and leapt to the edge of the pit, glancing back at the men who had been impaled on the spikes at the bottom. Flinching, she said, "Oof, fatality anyone?"

She rejoined her partners as they rushed for the opening. A large squad of soldiers rounded the corner, blocking their path. The three took cover behind a rock wall as bullets sprayed mere inches away.

"Hey uh, Lily, I don't think we have enough bullets to take all those guys out. Mind giving us a hand?" Sam requested.

"You got it, uncle!" she exclaimed with crooked eyebrows and a bold smile crossing her face.

Focusing power into her fist, she confidently stepped around the corner with her arm extended toward her foes. She opened it, scorching the area and blasting away several brittle walls.

"Thanks, Lil. Let's go," ushered Nate. Carefully stepping over charred corpses, they exited the cave into a mining area, only to be greeted by another torrent of bullets. Nate and Sam returned fire, killing several soldiers, however many remained as their guns made the click of empty magazines.

"I'm empty!" shouted Nate.

"Me too!" replied his brother.

"Lily?!" Nate yelled to his daughter nervously.

"Do I have to do everything around here?" she joked. Summoning a fiery aura around her, she disappeared into a blue streak, cutting through every foe in sight, tearing them into ribbons. She reappeared in the spot she launched from, resting on one hand and knee.

"Whew, I'm actually getting winded for once," she sighed, standing up. Sam and Nate grabbed the bloodied weapons of their fallen enemies and several extra magazines and continued through the abandoned fortress which had been infected by Shoreline's digging machines. With Lily's help, they blasted their way through several more waves of adversaries. The three glanced at each other anxiously as they arrived at a cliffside which stretched into a steep, rocky slope that dropped into the ocean where Sully's seaplane was landed.

"You guys sure you can handle this?" Lily inquired.

"Do we have much of a choice?" Nate questioned, motioning to the mercenaries chasing closely behind.

"Well, I'm certainly not standing around here waiting to get shot. Geronimo!" Sam shouted as he slid down the cliff face, crossing his arms and legs as he plunged into the shivering waves.

"Okay… if he can do it, I can do it," Nate reassured himself, launching himself down the gravelly slide. Lily sent a final blast of fire behind them, burning a couple soldiers before she followed suit into the waters below. They scrambled into Sully's plane, which roared to life as bullets peppered its metal hull. As Lily slammed the doors closed, the plane lifted from the waters and soared into the sky.

Lily slumped into a seat as Nate retreated to the back of the plane, returning with a pile of thick blankets. He handed one to Sam and Lily before returning to the cockpit. The air in the cabin was cold, so she lit a flame in her hand to aid in warming her partners.

"That was a close one, huh?" Nate chuckled as he claimed the co-pilot seat.

"They shot up my goddamn plane, Nate," Sully grunted, shooting Nate a sour glance.

"This plane is a tank, those bullets barely left a scratch," Lily assured.

"Look at the ceiling, you can see the dents! I hope you've got plenty of jewels in your pockets; I'll need 'em to get this thing fixed," he huffed.

"So, how soon can you get us to Madagascar?" Nate insisted.

"No treasure then?" Sully sighed.

"Not yet," Nate shook his head.

"What do you mean? Look, we're rich," Sam exclaimed sarcastically as handed the bronze coin to Sully.

"Well, I supposed it's a start. Do you think the rest is in Madagascar?" he questioned, handing it to Nate.

"There was a chamber with a map of Madagascar on the floor, so yeah, it's probably there," Nate nodded.

"This is beginning to smell a whole lot like wild goose, kid," Sully grumbled.

"That's never stopped us before," Lily reminded them.

"Look, the treasure was never in Scotland, okay?" Nate began.

"Then what was the point of that huh? With the Saint Dismas cross?" inquired Sam.

"Like I said earlier, Avery was recruiting people." Nate replied.

"Oh, the cross was an invitation!" Lily announced, snapping her fingers.

"...and the caves were some sort of initiation," Nate continued.

"Oh, so we all passed? Hey Lil, do you have any eyes patches I can borrow?" Sam quipped.

"I have some back home," Lily admitted as she hopped out of her seat and joined her family by the cockpit.

"Ooh, I hope you have green," Sam requested.

"I don't get it. Why the hell would they go through all that just to weed people out?" Sully interjected.

"Avery wanted to protect himself," said Lily.

"He was the most wanted man in the world at that time. He needed to enlist people he could trust in order to keep their treasure secret," Nate added.

"What do you mean by _their_ treasure?" questioned Sam.

"Think about it, Thomas Tew was a successful pirate in his own right; what could he possibly gain from joining Avery?" Nate speculated. "I think Avery sent out crosses to other wealthy pirates like himself, and then pooled all their treasure together!" Nate explained.

Excitement enveloped Lily as she imagined mountains of pirate treasure placed in a cathedral like chamber. She turned to Sam who mirrored her expression.

"That would make the Gunsway heist look like chump change," Sam smirked.

"Ho-ho-holy shit. Okay, so where exactly in Madagascar are we going?" questioned Sully.

"King's Bay. It was an old pirate haven back in Avery's time," Nate replied.

"I know it well, it's a big place. Anything more specific?" inquired Sully.

"Well, the map chamber completely caved in so…" Sam shrugged.

Nate chuckled quietly.

"What's so funny?" asked Lily.

"The people who survived the caves, the recruits. What's the one thing they would've left with?" questioned Nate as he lifted the coin, holding it between his thumb and index finger. Lily reached for the coin and laid it on her palm. Two images were etched on either side of the eroded coin: one was a pair of scales, and the other a volcano.

"There's a volcano on this," she observed.

"There's a volcano near King's Bay," Sully informed, grinning.

The group exchanged smiles.

Lily reclaimed her seat in the cabin, excited for their next destination. Sam sat across from her and shifted into a comfortable position to take a nap. A sudden exhaustion enclosed Lily, however images of Mary haunted her, preventing her from falling asleep. To pass the time, she'd listen in on Nate and Sully's conversations. Every once in a while, Nate would glance at her and exchange a tired smile. Eventually, he joined Lily in the cabin, plopping down in the seat next to her as turbulence gently rocked the plane.

"How you feeling, kiddo?" he asked.

"I miss Maddie, and I'm having trouble sleeping," Lily sighed.

"Is it the nightmares again?"

"No… I can't stop thinking about Mary."

"Look, I know you-"

"She called my name. I heard it when the cave was collapsing. I never met that woman before, yet she recognized me. How?" Lily explained.

"I… I don't know."

"She was staring at my necklace the whole time. She knows my name, and she looks like an older version of the woman in the pictures. It seems like we'd be searching for evidence it _isn't_ her at this point."

Nate's face became somewhat distraught.

"I guess you're right. I'm just worried…"

"About what?"

Nate hesitated.

"Dad?"

Sighing, he continued, "Before you met me, you were searching for your parents. You killed John saving me, and we found evidence Mary was gone, or so we thought, so you stopped looking. Now she shows up, and… I'm just worried you'll leave us for her."

Lily gave Nate's head a swift, gentle chop.

"Are you kidding me? After all we've been through. Dad, I love you guys, you're my family. Sure, she's my birth mother, but she left me at an orphanage and never came back, despite being fully able to. She married John, a _psychopath_, and now she's working with Rafe, who, may I remind you, is our enemy! Why in the world would I leave you?"

"I just-"

"Sshh!" she said, raising a finger.

"Fine," Nate sighed. The two hugged and he returned to his seat in the cockpit.

"Yeesh, drama," Sam commented.


	5. The Twelve Towers

Shortly after landing at a meagre assortment of docks just outside a small town in King's Bay, Sully stopped at a vehicle rental business and haggled over the price for what seemed like an eternity to Lily, who was itching to dive into the wilderness of the Madagascar plains. They ended up settling on a shoddy-looking roofless four-by-four with a winch attached to the front.

"Alright, now that's settled, I have to call Elena," Nate informed the group. He pulled out his smartphone and tapped the screen a few times before holding it to his ear. Seconds later, he began speaking, "Hi, honey! Bad news: looks like we'll need another ten days or so. The weather's been getting in the way of us working."

A few seconds went by as he listened to Elena's response.

"Oh, no no, you don't have to do that! I don't think we'll actually be here that long, you know how these guys overestimate these things."

Another pause.

"I will, always do. By the way, have you heard from our lovebirds lately?" He gave Lily a quick thumbs up as he listened.

"Oh great! I'm glad they're having a good time, give 'em my best. Oh, uh, I gotta go, I see Jameson calling me over. I love you!"

He hung up the phone, smiling.

"Everything's fine," he said, rejoining the group. "Let's get going!"

They piled into the jeep and sped off toward the edge of town. As Lily settled into her poorly-cushioned seat in the back with Sam, her hip began buzzing. Retrieving her phone from her pants pocket, she found Elena's face lighting up the screen.

"Hoo, boy," she muttered nervously. "Mom's calling. Everyone _keep quiet_."

"Hellooo?" she proclaimed cheerfully.

"Hey, I just got off the phone with your dad; they're job's gonna be another ten days or so. How're things over there?" Elena's voice emitted from the speaker.

"Ah, that sucks. Things are great here! We're about to board a ferry boat in Paris!" Lily exclaimed nervously.

"Wow, I wish I could've gone! I doubt your dad'll ever take me, though."

"He's making a ton of money on this job; I'm sure you could convince him to take you for keeping you waiting so long," she suggested, tapping Nate's shoulder.

"Ya know, that's not a bad idea. Oh, by the way, there's something I've been wanting to talk to Maddie about. Could you put her on for a sec? And what's with that loud noise I hear, is that an engine?"

"She's n-not here, and that's the engine of a bus I'm on," Lily stammered. "We wanted to ride together to the ferry but got separated in the crowds, so we're meeting back up there."

"Ah, okay. I can just call her phone, I guess."

"She dropped her phone somewhere and we couldn't find it," Lily blurted louder than necessary. "I'll have her call you when we meet up," she continued, trying to calm down.

"So _everything's _not great?" Elena noted, a suspicious tone in her voice.

"Eh, it was a crappy phone anyway. I meant great as in, 'We're both still in one piece,' great."

"I see. Well, I'm looking forward to Maddie's call. Stay safe!"

"Thanks, Mom! Talk to you later!"

She pressed the red button to end the call and released a heavy sigh of relief.

"Dad, we're never doing this again," she asserted. "Lying to Mom has gotten pretty tough, and you know how bad I am at lying."

"I know how hard this is for you, but we have to do it for Sam. We wouldn't be out here if it weren't for him," Nate responded.

"And may I add, I appreciate you guys doing this so much," Sam interjected. "It means the world to me; I'd have no chance against Rafe and Nadine without you."

"I've gotta say, it has been nice doing this again. I was getting tired of the humdrum of normal life," Lily admitted.

A comfortable silence fell among the group. Lily stared out into the wilderness, quietly naming the animals she'd spot along the way. The sight of lemurs resting in the tall, shady trees spotted around the landscape helped ease Lily's mind. They were on the savannah no more than two hours until Sully glanced at his GPS, only to discover their signal was lost.

"Damn, the signal's gone," cursed Sully.

"Well, Sully, you know what never loses its signal?" questioned Nate, slowing the jeep to a halt. He pulled out a map and spread it on the dash.

"Paper."

"Paper also doesn't tell you where you are, Nate. It takes longer to get where you're going," Sully refuted.

"Again, no signal. A GPS isn't going to tell you where you're going if it doesn't know where _it_ is"

"Nate, you act like you're some kinda one-man human GPS. Do you remember how many times you've gotten us lost? It would take me both hands to count the number of times you've held the map upside down for hours!"

Sam leaned in closer to Lily.

"Are they always like this?"

"Always. Most of our trips start with those two fighting over directions," Lily chuckled quietly.

Nate began studying the map, ignoring Sully's further comments. His finger glided over a trail drawn by a blue sharpie leading to the volcano.

"That looks like our best bet," Nate nodded.

"Are you sure you're not holding the map upside down?" Sam teased.

"Yes, yes, of course I am," responded Nate, slightly irritated. He wrangled the shifter into gear and resumed driving.

"So is there anything we need to look out for?" questioned Sully.

"The map showed structures around the volcano, like ruins of watch towers," Nate explained.

"Watch towers?" asked Sully.

"Avery was the most wanted man in the world, so if he was hiding something out here, it'd make sense he'd need look outs," Sam noted.

"… and one of those towers is right on the volcano," Nate added.

"With Avery's treasure?" Sully inquired.

"Fingers crossed!" Sam finished.

A familiar quiet followed. Lily rested her chin on her palm as she gazed out into the vast desertscape. After they drove for another few minutes, they arrived at a steep, muddy hill, topped by a tree. To the left rested a flight of ancient brick stairs with a tall, decaying tower sitting at the top. Nate floored it toward the slope, however the tires just sputtered in the mud as they descended back down the mud.

"Ah, crap," Nate grunted.

"How about the winch? You could probably hook it around that tree up there," Sam suggested.

"Hey, good idea. I'll hike it up to the tree and you can steer once it's attached," Nate agreed. He hopped out of the jeep and grabbed the winch from the front and began yanking it up the ragged steps. Once to the tree, he wrapped it around twice before attaching the hook to the rope.

"Alright, Sam, press the red button on the left and come on up!"

Sam pressed the crummy-looking button just below the left side of the steering wheel and the rope began hoisting the jeep up the hill as it coiled itself back into the spool mounted near the bumper.

"And, we have liftoff!" exclaimed Lily.

Once the hill had been cleared, Nate, Sam, and Lily began inspecting the tower.

"This tower is in good shape for something several hundred years old," Sam noted.

"Yeah, they're definitely ruins from Avery's era," Nate agreed.

Lily searched for the tower for clues. A painting of a dragon with a curling tail was engraved on the floor in the middle of the tower.

"Hey guys, check this out," Lily called to her partners. Their heads dropped to the floor as they observed the drawing.

"That's Christopher Condent's sigil. Captain of the Fiery Dragon; operated out of Madagascar around Avery's time. So, Avery recruited pirate captains to be his lookouts? That doesn't make any sense," Sam thought out loud.

"Maybe Avery assigned each pirate captain to a certain tower?" Lily suggested.

Nate nodded his head, noting "Each captain could provide men and supplies to their own tower while Avery oversees the whole thing. Good thinking, Lil."

"Alright everyone, let's keep moving," Nate ushered as he unhooked the winch from the tree and reclaimed his place in the driver's seat, resuming their journey.

"So Lil, have you been to the Savannah before?" asked Sam.

"This is my first time here, but my parents brought me to a safari in Botswana for my twenty-first birthday," Lily smiled.

"Holy crap, what a present! Father of the year, right here!" he boasted, heavily patting Nate's shoulder. "The most I got for my birthday in prison was one less beating," he chuckled.

"Well, we weren't able to get her much all the other years, so we wanted to make up for that with something big. As you can tell, she loved it," Nate smiled.

"And where was I for this?" Sully commented.

"I called you, but you said you didn't want to pay for a ticket!"

"It was $8500, Nate! Where do you think I could get that kinda cash?"

"Just take a loan out and add it to the rest! I doubt you'll ever pay them off, so what's wrong with a little more?"

"Well, if this Avery thing pulls through, that debt is the first thing I'm taking care of."

"You and me both," Sam noted.

As they neared the top of a hillcrest, Nate slammed on the brakes.

"Shit, everyone be quiet. Shoreline," he whispered.

Ahead of them was a small collection of tan brick and wood buildings, all of which had been eroded by the elements. Among them stood a tall tower, reaching toward the sun. Several soldiers were scouting the area, with a few more setting up explosives in front of a large door.

"Want me to take care of this, Dad? There's not a lot of cover for you guys down there, and that kinda fighting is my specialty," Lily offered.

"Sure, have at it. We need to save ammo for later, anyway," Nate agreed.

"Sweet," she smirked. "Be right back."

She darted down the hill, leaving a fiery blue streak behind her. Leaping high into the air, she slammed into the ground, digging her fist deep into the earth and sending shockwaves through the ruins. Multiple soldiers were knocked over by the quake.

"Hello, boys! Miss me?"

The whole squadron turned to her in surprise, many frozen in fear.

"What are you idiots doing, that's a Drake! Open fire!" the commander shouted in a heavy South African accent. A flurry of bullets filled the air, spraying up dust from the ground.

"Hold your fire!" the commander shouted over the deafening gunfire. The dust cleared, showing Lily standing in the same spot without a scratch on her.

"Really? You guys _still_ don't have anything better?" she scoffed. As she taunted the soldiers, a bright red laser sourced from the tower began dancing toward her head. Lily quickly noticed and lifted a hand toward the tower, unleashing a tidal wave of black and blue flames and blasting the bricks into dust. What remained of the sniper's charred body fell toward the ground, crumbling into a pile of smouldering blood and mush.

Silence again.

Suddenly, the soldiers began shrieking as they retreated from the ruins.

"That won't work either!" shouted Lily as she crouched, holding one hand up behind her head and one pointed toward the ground, each with its index and middle finger extended. She began rapidly stepping in circles, shooting darts of flame which pierced through the heart of every fleeing soldier.

Once every enemy had been defeated, she stood up and blew away the smoke emanating from her right hand. Flashing a thumbs up toward her group, she shouted, "And that's how it's done!"

Nate moved the car to pick up Lily and they continued traversing the arid wilderness, filled with rocks, slopes, and muddy hills. Everything went smoothly until they encountered another hill too steep and slippery for the jeep to climb.

"Ah, crap, not again," Nate sighed.

"W'hey, there's another tree at the top just passed that big rock. You could hook the winch to that and pull us up like last time," Sam suggested, pointing to a tree rooted at the top.

"Oh yeah, you're right. Hold on, be right back."

"Want me to steer again?"

"I think I'd like a go at pulling up the hill; it looked kinda fun!" Nate smirked as he grabbed the hook and yanked it up the earthy hill, finally wrapping it around the tree base.

"Whooo!" he shouted as he slid back to the bottom. Sully gave him a slightly disgusted look as a now-muddy Nate climbed back into the driver's seat.

"Just… try not to get that mud on me; I'd rather this shirt not get too stained up," he grunted.

"Then why'd you wear it? You knew it'd be muddy."

"I thought we'd just be driving across dry plains! Now hurry up and drive, we're on the clock."

"We're all set," Nate affirmed as he gently began accelerating as the winch pulled the jeep toward the hilltop. However, the rope rested against a large boulder keeping them in place. Suddenly, it slid off the sheer cliff to their right, obliterating their solid ground and sending them plummeting toward the ground below, only being saved by the thinning winch rope.

"Okay! Don't panic!" Nate shouted.

"I am very much panicking here" Sully loudly replied.

"That cable's gonna snap!" Sam yelled.

Nate floored the gas pedal, forcing the jeep toward the sky, inch by inch. Suddenly the rope snapped, dropping them toward the rocky chasm. Lily leaped from her seat and grabbed both ends of the cable, saving her group from falling. The force of suddenly stopping threw Nate from his seat. Sam grabbed his arm, nearly missing, and pulled him back into the jeep.

"Climb up, I've got this!" bellowed Lily, shaking from the strain. The three others quickly climbed over her and up the wire, finally returning to safety.

"Lily, are you alright down there?!" Nate called, poking his head over the cliff.

"I'm fine! Watch yourselves, I'm throwing this back up!"

She took a deep breath and focused energy into her arm, thrusting the vehicle into the sky and above solid ground. She then pulled herself up and rushed to position herself under the plummeting four-by-four. Stretching her hands up, she caught the jeep and placed it gently on the ground. She collapsed, leaning against the now-rescued transportation.

"Ya know, Niece, you never fail to surprise me," sighed Sam, leaning his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Not gonna lie, that one took a lot out of me," she responded, slowly standing back up.

Sully slumped himself back into the passenger's seat as Nate, Sam, and Lily also reclaimed their respective seats.

"Ah… well, that was fun, right?" Nate chuckled nervously.

"Yeah? Well, I'm definitely sharing this one with my shrink," Sully quipped.

"Wait, you have a shrink?" Sam laughed.

"No… but I will after this."

"Come on, you guys are overreacting. I had the whole thing under control!" Lily commented.

"I'm just thankful you're able to do all this crazy stuff, otherwise we'd have bit the dust long ago," Sam remarked.

The party continued up the increasing slope of the mountain. A winding road was topped by a bridge, half of which was broken off and leaning under the stable section.

"Hold onto something!" Nate instructed as they drove off the bridge, landing on the rickety portion below. Although the wood swayed under their weight, it did not collapse.

"Ah… well, that was a nice change of pace," Nate smiled.

"Yeah, I'm almost disappointed… almost," Sam noted.

They arrived at a monolithic tower which had a wide set of eroded stairs in front of it.

"Let's go claim our treasure!" Sam exclaimed, rushing toward the building. However, they found him standing at the collapsed-in entrance.

"Hold on, I'll handle this," Lily said.

"Kinda figured you would," Sam smiled.

Holding out two hands, Lily let loose an explosive ball of fire, clearing the path into the tower.

"Thanks, Lil," Nate said, patting her back as he walked passed. She stood in place, staring down at her hands. Nate looked back, asking, "You comin'?"

"That… was supposed to be bigger," she lamented.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Nate mollified. "You just held two tons over a cliff before throwing it fifty feet into the air and catching it; it's only natural you'd get tired at some point." As he turned away, a look of concern crossed his face.

Lily closed her hands into fists and lowered them to her sides as she joined her family inside.

The inside of the tower was composed of several collapsing stone platforms. An ornate iron chandelier hung from the ceiling under a blazing skylight. On the wall adjacent to the entrance was a map of the area etched onto the wall. Several rectangular icons dotted the map mimicking the sigils of Avery's crewmates. In the middle was a familiar stone statue of Saint Dismas, crucified on a stone cross.

"Hey guys, check this out," Sam called to his partners, approaching the statue.

"Ah, Saint Dismas, we meet again," Nate greeted as they joined Sam.

"So, what do we've got?" questioned Sully as they observe the carving.

"More sigils. There's our boy Avery, Thomas Tew, and, um…" Nate pointed to the symbols as he named them.

"That's Adam Baldridge," Sam added, pointing to a skull bottomed by two scimitars.

"Then we got Joseph Farrell and Richard Want," Lily listed.

"Okay so maybe you're pirate pool theory wasn't so ridiculous after all," Sam agreed.

"Somehow his most outrageous theories are usually true," Lily commented.

Nate glanced at Lily, smirking before turning his attention to the statue.

"So, what do you think the trick is here? You gotta push a button? Pull something?" Nate suggested as he and Sam began tugging on every surface of the statue. Lily couldn't help but chuckle.

"Guys, whenever you're done fondling with poor Saint Dismas, I think you might wanna come and take a look at this," Sully interjected.

Lily joined Sully who stood far from the wall.

"What's up, gramps?" asked Lily.

Sully pointed to the left side of the statue, where a strangely-shaped book was engraved. A few feet to the right was a crown.

"That trapezoid obviously represents the volcano. The crown is King's Bay. We got ourselves a map, fellas," said Sully as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Victor, you're a goddamn genius!" Sam exclaimed.

"You hear that Nate? _Genius_," Sully teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Nate shrugged as he studied the map.

"Okay, so if we're here," said Nate pointing to the sideways skull and crossbones. "This tower lines up with Avery's sigil."

"So the other sigils…" Sam began.

"… must be the towers from Avery's time," Nate finished.

"So our treasure's gotta be in one of them, right?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, but which one? I counted twelve towers," questioned Sully.

Sam's head dropped and his eyes panned to the ground. He knelt to pick up a small cigarette bud by Sully's feet. Fresh smoke lingered from the tip, indicating someone recently dropped it.

"Hey uh, Victor? You didn't start smoking cigarettes by any chance, did ya?" asked Sam.

Suddenly a flashbang and smoke grenade dropped on the ground behind them, dazing them as a swarm of heavily-armed soldiers rappelled down on ropes and immediately opened fire. Lily hastily raised a fire wall between her group and their opponents.

"Get to cover!" she shouted, creating small openings in the wall for her comrades to dive behind crumbled sections of the building.

Nate, Sam, and Sully rushed into shelter as they were assailed by a deafening hail of bullets. Pulling out their weapons, they swiftly chose their targets and returned fire, however it did a meager amount of damage to the heavily armored troopers designed for close-quarters combat. Lily compressed the wall of fire into two massive balls of flame hovering several feet above the ground. With a deep breath, she sent them screaming toward the heavy combat fighters, incinerating them upon impact. Without warning, her vision became blurry and her head started swimming. She bent down on one knee, shaking and unable to stand. A look of pained confusion consumed her face.

_Why…?_ she thought. _What's happening?!_

Nate looked back and noticed her struggling. Worried about his daughter, his face turned from fright to determination. He dove out of cover and rushed at the closest soldier, striking them over the head with his pistol. Their body slammed against the ground, motionless.

Nate continued climbing the ruins toward a grenadier stationed at the top. He crept behind them and shoved them from the unguarded ledge, sending them plummeting into the rocks below. Skillfully, he tossed his grapple onto the chandelier and leapt from the ledge, shooting down two more soldiers at the beginning of his crest. At the apex of his swing, he vaulted from the rope directly above yet another commando, his fist raised high above his head, which he buried into their face as he plummeted towards them.

The room went silent as the dust cleared. He ran to Lily, who was still depleted.

"Lily, are you okay?" he queried.

"My powers…" she lamented, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "I think… I think I'm losing them."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Nate consoled her, "I think you might've just been overusing them a bit. Think about it: you destroyed half the Rossi Estate, that one tower got obliterated, and you tossed a jeep around like a toy, not to mention creating a wall of fire reaching to the ceiling and then using it to obliterate what we couldn't even put a scratch on. You're tired, and that's fine. We got along just fine before you got your powers, so please, let us take care of things while you rest, alright?"

"Fine, just don't get yourselves hurt without me," she blubbered through a laugh. They gave each other a quick hug and Nate helped her to her feet. "Now that that's over, let's keep moving."

Sam had been rummaging through a soldier's pockets as Nate comforted Lily.

"Hey, what are you doing?" questioned Nate as the group rejoined Sam.

"Just confirming a suspicion," said Sam as he pulled out a folded worn sheet, taking a moment to peek at the paper's contents as he unfolded it.

"Shit, look at this," Sam requested as he handed the sheet to Nate.

Lily glanced over Nate's shoulder to find a satellite map of the savannah marked with circles dotting the areas around the volcano. Lily spotted Mary's signature occupying the bottom right corner.

"Dad, it's Mary again. I wonder if she's Rafe's Avery expert? She knows about the towers too," Lily suggested.

"She must be; Rafe never knew much about Avery when we were working together. He was always just the money guy," Nate stressed.

"So now what?" asked Sully.

"We're screwed, okay? There's only three of us and God knows how many of them out there, and they have a head start," Sam huffed.

"Yeah, but they don't know which tower to go to yet," said Nate as he reached into his pocket.

"That's great Nathan, neither do we," Sam grumbled.

"Yes we do, look at the coin," Lily insisted as she pointed to it resting in Nate's palm.

"It's a little worn down, but it's a match," said Nate as he held the coin next to a sigil of weight scales.

"Are you sure? It could mean this one too," Sam sighed as he pointed to a trident. Nate flipped the coin and lowered it to the bottom of the map.

"Ah, crap" Nate cursed as he tucked the coin away.

"Still, two beats the hell out of twelve," Sully assured.

"Alright, I'll take this tower, and you guys take the other one," Sam suggested, pointing to the trident.

"No, no, no. Rafe's guys are all over these towers by now," Nate rejected.

"Exactly, so if we want to have a chance to catch them, then we gotta split up," Sam noted.

"I'll go with Sam," Lily offered.

"But what if you get hurt?" Nate responded.

"Dad, don't start acting like you did in Nepal. Even without my powers, I can take care of myself. Remember what I can do with a gun?" she retorted, arming herself with a rifle and pistol which previously belonged to one of their fallen enemies.

"Right," he replied, bashfully scratching the back of his head.

"So it's settled, then. Nathan, Victor, you guys take the jeep we've been driving. Lily and I will nab one from those Shoreline jerks. If either of us finds anything, we'll have our phones," Sam planned.

"I thought we didn't have any signal?" Nate pondered.

"No data or GPS, but we're good for calling; my bars are fine," Sam informed.

"Well, everyone, we've got our work cut out for us. Let's get goin'," Sully exclaimed, a satisfied smile stretching his bushy mustache. They exited the ruins and climbed into their respective vehicles.

"Call me if you find anything!" Nate shouted to the other duo, who were several feet away.

"Same to you!" acknowledged Sam.

"Bye Dad! Good luck!" waved Lily, smiling. With a wilted smile, Nate waved and drove off toward a nearby town.

"Guess we'd better get goin' too," Sam affirmed. He turned the keys and the engine roared to life. Slamming it into gear, they drove off toward the next part of their adventure.


	6. A new Ally

Lily stared out into the savannah. As they traversed the bumpy plains, she noticed the terrain become increasingly dotted by small ramshackle huts created from mud, clay, straw, and wood. Sam focused on the road as they entered the city, which was far more modernized with concrete buildings, several of which were freshly-painted using bright primary colors. Lily realized this was her first time alone with Sam and wanted to spark up a conversation, but her mind kept wandering to Mary, and Nate's confession on the plane.

"You mentioned something about Nathan and Nepal. He told me what happened with the war and Lazarević, but it seems like he left out a few details," Sam inquired suddenly.

Lily sighed, answering, "While we were in Nepal, Dad was so overprotective he wouldn't let me do anything; he'd always tell me to stay back or hide somewhere. Eventually I yelled at him and ran away. We met back up on the train, which I'm sure he told you about, so I think me almost dying drove the point across."

"Jeez, I never saw my brother as the overprotective type. He's always been stubborn, but I guess a person can change in fifteen years."

They drove for another few minutes with nothing but the wind rushing passed and the sounds of the city to break the silence.

"Hey Sam, can I ask you something?" Lily began, ending the quiet.

"Sure," he nodded.

"If you knew your mother was alive, would you go after her?"

"Absolutely," Sam agreed.

"Then why is Dad so against me trying to meet Mary? There's no way she's not my mother," asked Lily.

"Well… he did already say he was afraid you would leave him and go off with her. I know you told him you wouldn't, but I don't think Nathan fully believes you. Even when we were kids, he had trouble trusting people. I guess he hasn't fully gotten over that habit," responded Sam.

"What the hell do I have to do to convince him, then? Smack it into him?"

"Sounds like fun!" Sam grinned jokingly. "Sometimes he needs a little forceful persuasion."

Lily chuckled, however her smile faded quickly. She slumped into her seat and stared straight ahead.

"Him and Mom have done everything for me. I love them; they're the ones who enabled me to have a normal life. Why would I leave them?"

"I… don't know. I wish I did, but I'm no mind reader. You'll have to ask him yourself next time you see him."

Lily wiped away a single tear as Sam pulled up to the tower. It rested at the end of the road just before the muddy countryside. In front of the door was a small walkway by a patch of grass, all bordered by a shoddy wood fence.

"And here we are!" he exclaimed. "Let's get inside."  
They hopped out of the jeep and jogged to the entrance, which consisted of two meager wood doors. Sam gave the right one a firm push, however the wooden beam mounted on the other side prevented them from proceeding.

"Hold on, I'll take care of this,"

"I thought you were resting?"

"I want to test something."

Lily struck the middle of the doors with her palm, shattering the wooden beam. The doors slowly swung open as they jiggled on their hinges.

"Not as strong as I'd like, but it'll do," Lily affirmed.

The inside of the tower was covered in dust and cobwebs. The short entrance hall was painted with a peeling red paint, while the rest of the walls remained bare concrete. The sides of the room were choked in leaves and vines, while the floor was littered with papers and bits of wood, beneath which was a black circle centered by the cracked tip of a trident.

"There's… nothing here," lamented Sam. "Not even a single damn painting. I sure hope Nathan and Victor are having better luck."

As if on queue, Sam's phone buzzed in his pocket. Having received a text, he opened it and found pictures of several sigils inside: two dolphins, a trident, and two skeletal hands holding a pearl. He hit the phone button and held it up to his ear.

"Hey, you still in the tower?" Nate answered.

"Yeah; there's nothing here. What's with the picture you just sent?" questioned Sam

"We're trying to figure out some sort of mechanism. For now, just tell me who's who."

"Well, the dolphins are Richard Want, the trident is Joseph Farrell, and the two hands with the pearl is William Mayes."

"Alright, great. Stay where there's good reception. I might need your help again."

"Wait, Nathan, did you find the treasure?"

"No, not yet, but I got a mechanism to solve here; I'll let you know."

Sam placed the phone back in his pocket. Turning his head to Lily, he rubbed the back of his head and said, "Well, looks like we got the short end of the stick. Nathan wants us to stay put just in case he needs help again. Don't know why he doesn't just have us drive up there, but whatever."

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the entrance.

"Looks like I'm not the first one here."

Sam and Lily turned around and found Mary standing in the doorway, dressed in cargo shorts and a purple tank top, which featured ruffles around the neckline. They drew their weapons and aimed them at her.

"Hold on, hold on, I'm not here to fight," she announced, holding her hands above her head. "That's Nadine's job. I just want to talk. Specifically to you, Lillian."

"Me?" she responded.  
"Yes. I noticed you're wearing a very… interesting necklace. May I see it?" she requested, taking a few steps closer. Sam shifted his feet, ready to shoot.

"Um… sure," Lily reluctantly produced her sapphire necklace from under her shirt and pulled it over her head, handing it to Mary. She carefully inspected its many intricacies, its blue stone shimmering in the dim light.

"What was your biological father's name?" she asked, her head tilting up from the stone.

"… John."

"Owens?"

"… yes."

"Oh my God, it is you…" she gasped, nearly dropping the necklace. "I never thought I'd find you."

She stepped forward to hug Lily, who once again raised her gun toward Mary.

"Why didn't you come for me?" she bitterly interrogated, tears in her eyes. "I looked _everywhere _for you. I thought you were dead!"

"I had to… fake my own death. John was becoming too powerful, and got corrupted by his work. It was the only way to escape him. I just wanted you to have a second chance."

"You left me to loneliness. I had no one! Everyone at the orphanage ignored me, and any would-be parents never gave me a second look. Second chance, my ass."

"I only wanted you to be safe!"

"I was homeless for years, I almost starv-!"

"I'm sorry!" Mary blurted out, tears streaming from her eyes. Sam lowered his gun, glancing between the two women. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He slowly unpocketed it and checked the message. It was a picture of four more sigils: weight scales, a snake, a monkey, and a tiger. As Lily and Mary shouted at each other, he quickly typed out, "Left to right: Edward England, Tariq bin Malik, Yazid al-Basra. I've never seen the monkey sigil before."

The arguing stopped. Lily and Mary glared at Sam as he finished the text. He glanced up, surprised at the sudden shift in targets.

"What?" he queried.

"When two women are fighting, you're supposed to step in and stop them," huffed Mary.

"Yeah!" agreed Lily.

"Geez, these two are fickle," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" they shouted in unison.

"I mean… you should join us!" Sam responded nervously.

"… what?" Mary questioned.

"Yeah, you should join us. We've constantly been a step ahead of Rafe, and Shoreline doesn't stand a chance against Lily's powers. Not to mention, Rafe's a bit of an asshole."

"Now hold on, Sam-" Lily started.

"Sam? Sam Drake?" Mary interjected.

"Yeah, why?"

"Would your mother happen to have been Cassandra Morgan?" she inquired.

"She was, but she died a long time ago."

"I know. I worked with your mother back when she too was trying to find Libertalia. We were part of a group called the Syndicate of Triton. It was a group of women dedicated to finding Libertalia and Avery's treasure, among which was rumored to be the Sword of Triton. It was able to reanimate lifeless things: men, ships, you name it. Avery used it to rule the seas. Your mother headed the group, but just before a major breakthrough, she passed away. With no leader, the group disbanded. I was the only one still trying to find the treasure, until I met Rafe, that is. For nearly fifteen years we've been trying to find it and we've barely gotten anywhere until you all showed up."

"Fifteen years… so you two met right after he escaped that prison," he said quietly. "Him, my brother Nathan and I were in a Panamanian prison looking for a clue as to where to go next. We tried to escape; they got out, and I was stuck. Nathan gave up looking for it, obviously; I guess he wasn't willing to do it without me."

The anger faded from Lily's face.

"Okay," Mary affirmed. "I'll join you. I was getting the shits of being kicked around by Rafe all day. Anyway, a maniac like that should never have anything as powerful as the Sword of Triton, if it does exist."

Sam's phone buzzed once again.

"'Scuse me," he interrupted, raising a hand. Checking the message, he found three pictures of several sides of the globe.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to do with these, Nathan?" he examined.

Lily walked over and peeked at the phone.

"Let me see that," she requested, taking the phone from Sam's hands. "Looks like all we've gotta do is edit these three pictures together," she analyzed, opening several apps and selecting the picture files.

"And… done! Here you are, good sir," she grinned, returning the phone to Sam. On the screen was a completed globe with Avery's sigil hovering above one of the continents. The icon was encircled by the words "Pro Deus quod licentia." Sam swiftly dialed Nate's number and held it to his ear. It rang a few times before Nate picked up.

"'For God and liberty.' Nathan, do you understand what this means?" Sam asked.

Lily could hear Nate loudly on the other side of the phone as he exclaimed, "Sam, listen to me. Get off the streets right now, and destroy your phone. Rafe knows where we are; find a place to hide."

Suddenly the screeching of tires echoed outside the building. The three of them went outside to check and found a squadron of soldiers mounted on jeeps and motorcycles with their guns aimed at them. Behind them sat Rafe and Nadine parked sideways in their own jeep.

Rafe leaned his right elbow on the steering wheel, turned towards the building. "Well, what have we here? The pint-sized and half-baked Drakes. Mary, why didn't you inform me you found them?" he enquired.

"I'm going with them, Rafe. For fifteen years, you've bossed me around. I've worked tirelessly for you, and not once have you thanked me. The Drakes are the ones who'll find the treasure, not you, so you can kick sand, asshole," she seethed.  
Rafe's face looked as if he had eaten something sour. He turned forward in his seat and revved the engine.

"End them," he snarled. He beat the jeep into gear and squealed the tires as him and Nadine sped away. Nadine glanced back with a resentful expression covering her face.

Lily raised a flame shield between them and the soldiers just before they raised their rifles and began emptying the magazines. A soldier on the right side produced an RPG and fired at the tower's supports, peppering the ground with rubble and causing the tower to fall.

Lily kept the shield raised with her left hand as she pointed the right toward the monolith and blasted it with a torrent of blue flames which held it in place midair. Beads of sweat dripping down her face, she turned her head back toward the soldiers and snapped her fingers. The wall twisted into an array of fiery orbs. She extended her hand toward them, sending the spheres hurtling into their necks.

"Get out of here, I'll take care of this!" she called out to Mary and Sam.

"She's right, she can handle it. Let's go." Sam said, grabbing Mary's arm as he led her to a motorcycle. He pumped the gas and sped down the road toward the edge of the city.

Lily turned back toward the toppling brick skyscraper and blasted flames from her left hand as well. However, this did not force it back as it insisted on crushing her. She closed her eyes to focus her power. Snapping them open, she unleashed a roaring black and blue blaze, shattering the tower. Her arms fell by her side as she caught her breath and bricks rained from the sky.

Suddenly, Nate and Sully slid around the corner.

"Lily, hop in! The truck's almost here!" Nate yelled. She climbed into the back and they hastened into the mud of the countryside. She glanced back and saw a massive black military truck firing its turret as it barreled towards them. Nate weaved between small houses, under bridges, and through pipelines in an attempt to escape their pursuer.

"Screw this," Lily grunted. She aimed her outstretched arms at the truck and blasted it with a thick ray of fire, piercing through its armor and damaging the engine. It slowly crept to a stop as its turret ceased fire.

"Phew, thanks for that! Now we've just gotta focus on getting Sam back," Nate affirmed. "Do you know where he is?!"

"He escaped while I kept the tower from collapsing. I didn't see where he went, but I've got a pretty good guess!" she replied, pointing to a fleet of Shoreline vehicles speeding after a motorcycle on a bridge above them. A truck's crane dangled over the edge. Nate looked toward it with a sparkle in his eye. He began speeding toward the wooden dock parallel to the bottom of the bridge.

"Nate!" yelled Sully. Nate was deaf to his plea. "Nate!" he repeated.

"Take the wheel!" Nate finally responded.

"What the hell're you doing?!" Sully shouted, shifting into the driver's seat as Nate straddled the frame of the jeep.

"Getting my brother back."

He produced his grappling hook and hurled it to the crane. It wrapped around the tip and yanked Nate from the jeep just as Sully slammed the brake mere feet from the edge.

"See ya back at the hotel, Sully!" Lily shouted as she leapt up to the bridge and joined Nate in the pursuit. She landed on the truck and began pulling Nate up to it. As she pulled, Nate was slammed through several wood scaffoldings before being smashed into the mud. With a mighty pull, Nate was hoisted into the air before flopping into the truck.

"Ow, that hurt. Thanks." he joked as he slowly stood up. Soldiers in jeeps and motorcycles pulled up alongside the truck and began peppering it with bullets. Nate grabbed the rifle leaning against the rear of the cab and returned fire.

"We don't have time for this!" Lily shouted. "Grab one of their vehicles; I'll go find Sam!"

Nate leapt into one of the jeeps, shoving the soldier in the rear to the ground and headbutting the driver before tossing the limp body from the vehicle. On foot, Lily dashed between the vehicles, smashing them into pieces while leaving blazing trails of destruction in her wake and clearing a path for Nate to catch up. The two quickly caught up to Mary and Sam.

"Mary?!" Nate shouted as he pulled up alongside them.

"Nathan, I'll explain once we're back at the hotel! Let's just get outta here!"

"Fine, just get in the goddamn car and we'll go back together!"

"It'll be harder for them to catch us if we're separate! I'm faster, so stop arguing! Shit, look out!" Sam shouted just before a second armored truck sped around the corner, smashing into Nate. His jeep rolled several times before coming to a halt with him trapped under the front seats. Sparks jumped from the console and ignited the leaking gas. Nate struggled to pull himself from the wreckage, however his leg was crushed beneath the passenger's seat. Two remaining soldiers skidded to a stop and slowly approached the blazing car. Lily dashed at them, kicking them into the building adjacent to the crash. With a mighty heave, she lifted the car off of Nate. Pulling him to his feet, she helped him toward a motorcycle. He and Lily mounted the seat and began fleeing the huge truck.

"I doubt the bike would be able to stay up if you blasted that thing; use this," Nate loudly instructed, handing her an Uzi. Twisting through a concrete jungle, leading to the docks, Lily sprayed the hungry vehicle with bullets until the magazine clicked empty.

"I don't think that's gonna do much!" Sam yelled as Nate and Lily pulled up to his bike. They entered a tunnel sided by a long brick building and several metal cranes with their ends dipped into the water.

"What should we do, there aren't any exits!" Nate responded. The truck's flaring engine roared as it blitzed at them, ready to crush them beneath its gigantic tires. A stern expression stole Lily's face. She leapt from the bike, her right fist raised high into the air. Focusing blue and black flames into it, she crushed the hood of the truck, sending it flipping through the sky. It landed mere feet from the rest of the party, spraying them with shrapnel. Nate was unscathed, however Mary and Sam were struck directly with large pieces of razor-sharp metal, knocking them off the bike; one was stuck in Sam's right shoulder, and Mary had one lodged in her left thigh.

"Shit, Sam!" Nate shouted as he leapt from the motorcycle and ran to his brother. Lily quickly dismounted the bike and ran to Mary, calling to Nate, "Dad, bring him over next to Mary! We need to get the metal out!"

Nate pulled Sam's good arm around his shoulders and hoisted him up, carefully leading him to where Mary sat clutching her profusely bleeding leg.

"Here, sit down next to her, Sam. Dad, on three, pull that thing from his shoulder while I take care of Mary."

Sam sat next to Mary with just enough room for Nate and Lily to stand between them.

"One… two… three!" With a mighty heave, the two tore the metal from their respective hosts. Blood flowed forth as if a bottle had been uncorked. After focusing emerald green energy into her hands, Lily placed them on the wounds, which immediately began filling with renewed tissue, finally topped off by fresh skin. Sam and Mary sat awestruck, feeling where their injuries had just been.

"Holy…" Sam muttered breathlessly.

"Lily, I-" Mary began in a manner similar to Sam, but Lily interrupted.

"I feel like we need to talk. Let's get back to the hotel room before the authorities arrive."

"Good idea," agreed Nate. He and Sam got on one bike while Mary and Lily straddled the other. The four raced off toward the safety of their motel room.

"So, Lily, what the hell was that?!" Mary shouted over the wind rushing passed them.

"I have the powers of the Cintamani Stone! Dad, er… Nate, and I were in Nepal and we found the Tree of Life; the stone was just its fossilized sap! I accidentally drank it and essentially turned into a comic book character; I've got super-strength, I can shoot fire, and I can heal. Oh, and I've got the power of the Djinn, although I don't use that much since it's pretty hard on my body," she responded.

"Wow, you actually found it…" she replied quietly enough so only she herself could hear. "Your father spent ages searching for it, and I can see why. He used to be a wonderful man, but his love of power transformed him into a monster; I'm glad he's not able to hurt anyone anymore."

They pulled into the parking lot in front of the shabby Ikopa Motel. Sully was leaning against the beat-up rental jeep parked outside, smoking a cigar.

"Do… do you know how he died?" Lily asked conservatively.

"No, none of his followers left their headquarters alive, so it's whoever caused its' secr-"

"It was me," Lily interjected. "He'd obtained the Head of Kutu, an artifact capable of resurrecting the dead. He initially wanted it to bring you back- which obviously wasn't needed, but instead planned on using it to command an army of the dead to conquer the world. He was choking Nate, and I couldn't let that happen… I shot him; because of the Head's power he'd absorbed, he dissolved into sand as he reached out to me. I think he regretted it in the end, but it was too late."

"Wow… well, I suppose it's only fitting he met his demise at the hands of the family he abandoned."

"You're right," Lily sighed. "I'm glad I was able to save Dad; he and his wife adopted me and now we live together in New Orleans."

"Oh, they adopted you… I was hoping you'd… come with me?" she asked sheepishly. Before Lily could respond, Sully flicked away the butt of his cigar and sauntered over to the group.

"Glad to see you all made it out in one piece. Who's this charming lady?" he grinned, motioning to Mary. She walked over to him and smiled as she shook his hand.

"I'm Mary, Lillian's mother." He peeked around her, confused.

"Hey Lily, I thought your mom was, uh… dead?"

"Faked her own death," she winked.

"Ah," he huffed. "Her father was that much of an asshole, huh?" he questioned, turning back to Mary.

"Unfortunately," she responded. "It's obviously for the best, though; I can see Lillia-" she cleared her throat, "Lily, ended up with a wonderful family. Are you Nate's dad?"

"Not on paper, but yes, I'm his adoptive father. We met when he tried to steal my wallet in Cartagena and have been inseparable ever since, although it goes without saying, he got on my nerves plenty. Funnily enough, that's also how he and Lily met, so he did the same for her."

"So are you… joining us?" Nate asked nervously.

"If you don't mind. I've been working with Rafe for years, so I'm pretty in the loop on what's happening, but I've had enough of the gel-haired idiot."

"Sure, I guess you can tag along," Nate responded as a reserved look crossed his face.

"Excellent. I can't wait to give that moron his comeuppance."

Sam, who had been smoking as he leaned against a motorcycle, flicked away a cigarette butt and joined the group.

"Hey, if we're done walking down memory lane, we found a clue on where to go next," he interrupted.

Nate pulled out the small maps he had etched and held them up to the small light attached to the motel.

"'Pro Deus quod licentia:' For God and liberty," he quoted. "Sully, we think we found Libertalia."

"Liber- Liber-what-ia?"

"Libertalia!" Sam beamed. "Avery founded the legendary pirate utopia."

"Okay, but what about the treasure."

"See, as the story goes… this place provided a safe haven for hundreds, maybe even thousands of pirates, and they shared everything: property, resources…"

"Money?" Sully added.

"Absolutely," Sam continued, "and they all kept it all in one common treasury building.

"Okay, so where is this… Commie pirate sanctuary?"

"Right here, that island just northeast of King's Bay," Nate informed, pointing to the map. Lily peeked over Nate's shoulder to observe the island he marked.

"Does Rafe know about this?"

"Unfortunately; he hacked our phones and stole the pictures, although by the time he figures it out, we'll be well on our way to Libertalia…" Nate said. He walked to the door and twisted the room key. His face tiredly exuded joy as the lock clicked open and he slowly opened the door.

"… and that treasure is as good as oursshhit," Nate's words skidded to a stop as he entered the room, finding Elena hovering over their desk cluttered with maps and documents. Lily's heart pounded against her chest as she watched Elena's hand glide over the scattered files.

"How's the Malaysia job going, Nate? Seems like you're a hair off course," Elena greeted sorrowfully.

Elena's eyes were filled with betrayal as she glanced back at her family. They widened when she noticed Lily among the group.

"Oh, not you too…" she lamented.

Lily dared not to meet Elena's gaze as she said this.

"Elena, it's not what it looks like," Nate defended nervously.

"Really? From what I see, you're looking for Henry Avery's buried treasure, and given the Shoreline soldiers that are all over town, I'm guessing you're not the only ones looking for it," Elena analyzed as she went about the room, observing the weapons spread around the bed.

"Okay then, I guess that is what it looks like. But I can explain, it's gonna sound crazy,"

"Try me," Elena encouraged.

Nate turned to Lily as if he was waiting for instruction but she only nodded, urging him to continue.

"Well for starters… this is Sam. Sam Drake, my… brother," Nate introduced, gesturing towards Sam, who was leaning against the wall adjacent from Elena.

"Hi," Sam said quietly.

Elena's eyes panned to everyone gathered behind Nate until she stopped at Mary.

"And, uh… this is Mary… my birth mother," said Lily shyly, guilt enveloping every word.

Elena faced Nate speechless.

Nate continued, "I thought Sam died in a Panamanian jail, but I was obviously very wrong. He's been stuck in there for fifteen years and it's because of me."

Elena's mouth hung ajar and her eyebrows were pursed together as she listened to Nate's story.

"… and the guy who broke him out wants a lot of money, and the only way to pay off the debt is Avery's treasure, but that's the good news, we found it! It's on an island, just off the coast."

"Okay, just stop. Was there ever… a Malaysia job?" Elena questioned hastily.

Nate stood there in silence, unsure of how to respond. Elena fidgeted with her wedding ring as she went for the door.

"Mom, please, let's talk about this," Lily begged.

"I don't get you," said Elena with her back facing them.

"Look, I wanted to tell you," Nate assured.

"I've had enough," Elena sighed angrily, taking a step back.

"No, I wanted to but how could I?"

"I don't know, just say it?"

"I had to protect you!"

"That's bullshit, Nate. You just didn't have the nerve to face me. _Again_." Elena snapped.

"I knew you'd react this way," Nate replied.

Anger contorted Elena's face.

"How would you react? You guys lied to me, for weeks. If you two were killed I… I wouldn't have even known about it! And now you have a brother _and_ Lily's found her real mother. Who _are _you?" challenged Elena.

"Come on, it's me! It's different this time, I have to save him, I don't even care about the treasure," Nate insisted.

"The look on your face when you walked into this room," Elena paused. "If you're done lying to me, then you should stop lying to yourself."

A familiar depression consumed Lily as Elena's words pierced her heart. An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Elena reached for the door.

"I got a plane to catch. You do what you have to do," Elena choked as glistening tears rolled down her cheeks. Lily caught the door before it slammed shut.

"Mom, wait!" Lily called as she chased Elena out to the parking lot. Elena showed no indication she heard Lily and marched forward.

"Mom, please, let me explain!"

"Stop following me, Lillian! I can't do this now!" Elena demanded.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you," Lily cried.

"How could you do this to me? After everything I've done for you, you lie to me so you can go off and find your real mother?" Elena inquired.

"That's not what happened," Lily interjected. "I came here for the same reason as Dad: to find Avery's treasure so we can save Sam. I had no idea she's still alive, but she wants to help us find the treasure before Rafe can. She was working with him but doesn't want to anymore; she said she's had enough of him mistreating her."

"You're sure it has nothing to do with her finding you?"

Lily stood silent, unsure of how to answer.

"… I'm leaving. See you at home," Elena said with a certain finality, insecure of her own words.

Lily was left alone in the quiet parking lot, the silence being broken only by her empty heart beat pounding in her ears. She took a deep breath and returned to the motel room. She was greeted by Sully who grunted to himself as he closed the door behind him.

"What's up, gramps?" asked Lily.

"You're really just gonna let her go?" he queried.

"That's her decision, and I honestly don't blame her."

Sully sighed. "I'll go talk to her. You stay here with them."

He stomped to the jeep and sped off.

Lily watched as Sully disappeared into the city. Her depression was replaced with anger as she stormed into the room. She found Mary and Sam conversing at the far corner as Nate hovered over the desk. She stomped to Nate's side and slapped his arm hard.

"I told you this would bite us in the ass one day! We should have told her before even starting this whole thing!" Lily scolded.

"I don't have time for this, Lillian," Nate interjected.

"You never have time; that's always been your problem. We need to discuss this as a family, and not just you doing whatever you want!" Lily insisted.

"If you don't like the way I do things, why don't you just go off with your mother?!" Nate snapped.

Lily's expression reflected the sting of Nate's words as she fought back tears.

"Fine," Lily spat as she reached for her phone and hurried to the exit.

"I need to make a phone call," Lily announced to no one in particular as she slammed the door behind her.

Stepping outside, she rapidly navigated through the menus of her phone, landing on Maddie's contact profile. She hit the phone button, dialing her number.

"Unusual hearing from you while you're on a job, love. Everything okay?" Maddie asked from the other end.

"Absolutely not. Mom found out."

"What?! How?"

"Well, it's more like she figured it out. She was waiting for us at our motel, and now she's off to who-knows-where. Sully went after her to try and calm her down, but I doubt he'll have much luck in that."

"Hell, now what?"

"I have no idea. Tomorrow the four of us are heading to where we think Libertalia is. Oh, and there's… something else. We found my mother."

"Didn't you find evidence she's dead?"

"She faked it, and did a damn good job at it. She was working with this asshole named Rafe who's also trying to find the treasure, but she's had enough of him. She also asked if I'd like to come with her; Sully interrupted us, so I didn't get a chance to respond, but I'm obviously going to decline. There's no way I could leave my parents, despite the situation we're in right now."

"Jeez… what a day, huh?"

"Yeah," Lily laughed. "Everything going alright over there?"

"Better than what you're going through. Hey, my phone's about to die. I'll tell you about it when we get back to the States, okay?"

"It's a date," Lily smiled.

"I love you!"

"I love you too!"

Her smile quickly faded as she hung up the phone. She placed it back into her pocket and she returned to the room. Just as she entered she saw Sam disappearing into the other room. Nate was standing at the desk reorganizing the papers and analyzing the map tacked to the wall. His gaze shifted to Lily.

"Listen, Lily, I-"

"Don't talk to me, you've caused enough damage."

"… fine, just… pack your things. We're leaving at dawn."

As she silently gathered her belongings, Mary chimed in, saying "I should… probably be going. I obviously don't belong here. I'll sleep in the car."

"No, it's fine. You need good rest for tonight. There's another bed in that room there," Lily interrupted, pointing to the door next to the one Sam entered.

"I don't mean to intrude, I'll be fine out there," she said, waving her hands.

"I insist," Lily compelled. "I can sleep on the couch in the corner."

"… thanks," she smiled. Before disappearing behind the door, she stopped beside Lily and produced her necklace.

"I think this belongs to you."

"Thanks," Lily mumbled as she retrieved the shimmering stone with a tired smile. Lily completed packing her things and laid down on the couch, drifting off into a restless sleep.


	7. The Pirate Paradise

Early the next morning, the group quickly gathered their things and drove to the nearest boat shop. There were times Nate and Lily glanced at each other as if they wanted to speak but never sparked a conversation. After haggling with the cashier, they boarded the boat with their supplies and ventured out into the boundaryless crystal blue waters. A cool spray of mist hopped over the sides of the boat, giving the salty air a refreshing feel. The roar of the boat engine and rushing air filled the passengers' ears. Lily claimed the left corner of the boat and stared out at the horizon where the sun peeked over the ocean. Mary joined her as Sam and Nate took turns steering the boat towards their next destination. Lily wanted to get to know Mary better but the previous night's events fogged her mind. After a few hours of speeding across the empty sea, a pointed mountaintop peeked over the horizon.

"Land ho!" Sam called to the group.

Lily felt a shallow feeling of joy washed over her, dampened by the chilling depression gripping her mind.

Sam noticed the tension hovering over the group, so he strode to the cooler resting in the back of the boat and grabbed a beer for everyone. Lily's hand shot for the bottle, ripping off the bottle cap and taking a deep gulp. Sam offered one to Mary, but she declined. Sam tugged on Lily's arm and dragged her to the front of the boat.

"You know, with all this running around, I don't think we've actually taken a moment to appreciate just how far we've come," Sam reflected as he held out his bottle.

"Sic Parvis Magna," the Drakes mumbled as their bottles clinked. Lily dared not to meet Nate's gaze as she took another sip. The alcohol singed her throat as she tried to forget last night's pain.

"Guys, she'll get over it. If you come back with treasure like this, anyone would," Sam assured.

"Mom doesn't care about treasure, Sam," Lily said bitterly as she rejoined Mary.

"Exactly. I'm starting to think I've done this one too many times," Nate sighed as he stared ahead.

The conversation stalled, leaving the air wordless. Lily turned to Mary and asked, "So what was life like before John became corrupt?"

She looked into the sunny sky dotted by fluffy, white clouds.

"He was a kind man, always curious about the world's secrets. John was a great leader, but not just on the job; he genuinely cared about those in his command. Him and I lived together in a massive mansion in Arizona and took a private jet to wherever we needed to go. However, when he found out about the power he could wield through hidden artifacts, the ideas of strength and control corrupted his mind.

"He started to be distant and irritable, often lashing out at whoever might disturb his work, including me. Eventually he became violent, throwing things at me and often trying to hit me if I said a single word. I had to get out, and I knew you couldn't stay with him. You were still an infant, so I had no choice but to put you in an orphanage and fake my own death; that way, he would have no way of finding either of us. Of course, that lead to his search for the Head, which eventually ended in you two meeting and his untimely but well-deserved demise. I've turned it over in my mind countless times of what I could've done for things to end differently, but I don't think anything could have changed."

"Wow…" Lily responded. "Sounds like life dealt both of us crappy hands, huh?"

"Hey guys, finish up your drinks, we're just about to the island," Nate called over the boat engine. Lily drained what was left of her beer and tossed the empty bottle back into the cooler. Nate pulled the boat up to the shore and shut off the engine. Tossing the anchor ashore, he hopped into the chilly, knee high water and waded ashore as the rest of the group followed suit.

The island's landscape was choked by all manners of vines, trees, and foliage. The air became increasingly filled by the sounds of the local wildlife echoing from the forest. A muddy path dotted with eroded bricks led further into the island. Nate and his crew followed it until they came across a tall abandoned stone tower sat atop a circular rock mound sided by a steep staircase.

"Bingo!" shouted Sam as he dashed up the stairs and into the doorless entrance.

"Aaand there he goes again," Nate sighed as they followed his brother inside. By the time they caught up, he had already begun scaling the walls of the eroding building.

"Hey Sam, wait up!" he called into the echoing structure.

"Told you I'm faster! Catch up!" Sam responded as he vaulted to the other side of a windowsill. They hurriedly clambered up the rest of the structure, finally reaching the platform installed just under the roof. An ornate design of golden flowers was inlaid into the wall. In the center was placed a stone oval containing a golden circle, within which was a chevron bearing the same color.

"Huh, some kind of symbol…" Nate muttered as he pulled out his notebook and sketched the tower and icon.

"Almost looks like a compass arrow," commented Sam as he walked up to it and gave it a firm push. It sank into the stone, which slid apart from the middle, revealing a grand panoramic view of that side of the island.

"Look, down there," he informed, pointing to a giant version of the chevron buried in the sand on the shore.

"How in the world did we miss that?" questioned Lily.

"We were probably too busy looking around the island that we didn't bother looking down," joked Mary.

They hurried back to the boat and began heading in the direction the arrow pointed. Lily admired the oceanic view as they followed the matching arrows submerged in the crystal clear water.

"Man, I wish I had my pirate captain's hat right now," Lily sighed.

"You actually have a pirate's hat?" asked Sam.

"Every year my parents would buy me pirate stuff for my birthday. One time they got me an entire costume I'd wear for Halloween or to the Renaissance Faire. I even have antique maps, plastic hooks and patches to match," Lily explained.

"That sounds rad. Wish I had pirate stuff like that. Hey, Nathan-!" Sam complimented.

"Yes, Sam, we can go get you pirate gear after we're done here - if we survive, that is," Nate interrupted nonchalantly.

"Yes!" he shouted.

"Oh, and then we can watch pirate movies while wearing the stuff!" Lily suggested. "Ever see Pirates of the Caribbean?"

"I've been in prison for fifteen years; the last pirate movie I remember seeing anything about was a cartoon with some kid in a straw hat, so obviously I haven't seen it."

"You'll love it," Lily grinned.

"Think I could join you guys?" asked Mary.

Lily turned to her with a tired yet enthused smile.

"Of course! I have extra hats and patches you can borrow!" Lily chuckled.

"That sounds wonderful," Mary nodded. "Although I think I'd like to have my own set. I'll go with Nate and Sam when they get his."

Nate focused on the water as he journeyed through the increasingly choppy waters. The arrows lead them to a beautiful coastal cave as they crawled through a natural archway. You could hear the rippling water echoing throughout the cave as the waves reflected off the glistened rocks. The ceiling was covered in a wide swath of stalactites. In the middle of the now-murky waters was a natural stone pillar connecting the ground to the ceiling. The boat drifted to a stop and Lily dropped the anchor into the reefs below. Lily peered over the ledge of the boat to see fish scurrying away from the anchor as it sunk to the bottom.

"Are you alright with climbing, Mary?" inquired Lily as she turned to her partner.

"It's nothing I can't handle; I'll be fine," Mary assured as her eyes panned up to the ceiling of the cave.

"Don't hesitate to ask for my help, okay?" Lily offered as she followed the Drake brothers up the side of the rock column.

"You gotta admit, this is pretty cool," Sam reflected as they reached the top.

"What, climbing this cliff?" questioned Nate.

"Yes, climbing this cliff on a giant secret pirate island! I mean, c'mon!" Sam chuckled.

Nate observed the other side and noticed a lone branch jutting out between boulders.

"I think we're high enough to swing across with that branch," Nate announced as he reached for his grappling hook.

Lily held onto the ledge tightly as she noticed the jagged stalagmites below their next destination. She tossed her grappling hook onto the branch and gave it a strong tug. Deeming it safe, she leapt from the pillar and began her swing across, shouting "We're on our way to find some pirate treasure!" Her voice was echoing around the walls as she landed on the other side with a soft thud, dust hopping up around her feet.

The crew arrived in a circular area overrun by vegetation. On the cliffside stood a mass of stone pillars which surrounded a caved-in entrance. Above the entrance stood two stone statues of angels crossing their swords. To the left was a path leading out to a cliff.

"Oh, look! The entrance is blocked by debris!" Nate exclaimed sarcastically.

"Well, Avery's builders clearly didn't take hundreds of years of erosion into account," Sam commented. "C'mon, let's check out what's over here," he suggested, motioning to the cliffside path.

Turning the corner, they found arches, bridges, and stairs dotting the nature-consumed landscape. Silently, they followed the worn-down path through the area. Suddenly, Sam spoke up.

"Jeez… lotsa climbing over and crawling under things, huh?" he joked.

"The glamorous life of a treasure hunter," Nate responded soullessly. "Ya know, these arches remind me of the Saint Dismas Cathedral, but… I'm not entirely sure. Might be my mind playing tricks on me."

"Yeah…" replied Sam. "Oh, there's a rope bridge up there," he inspected, pointing to a bridge constructed of rope and wood planks suspended above them, linked between two small plateaus. On the side of one of the boulders was a small ladder which matched the bridge, however it did not reach down far enough for anyone to reach. Nate gave Sam a foothold and launched him up to the ladder. He climbed the rest of the way up and headed toward the edge.

Lily watched as Sam began crossing the rickety bridge. Her muscles tensed as she heard a loud crack and the bridge began to collapse. In a split second, Sam leapt forward, grabbing the bridge as it plummeted toward the wall on the other side. Despite the force of hitting the rocks on the other side, Sam was able to keep his grip and climbed up to safety.

"This family is _cursed,_" Lily mumbled to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Cursed?" inquired Mary.

"Everything we touch seems to break. Structures, people… _relationships_," she explained, shooting a still-angry glance toward Nate as she emphasized the third word.

"Well, Sam? Anything we can use to reach you?" requested Nate.

"I don't see another way up here, hold on a sec," Sam suggested.

"I'll see if there's a crate nearby we can use," Mary announced as she strode to an archway leading to a crumbling room.

Nate and Lily were left alone as silence fell between them, with the sounds of the jungle creating a peaceful ambience to break the awkward exchange.

"So how are you handling the whole 'Your mother's alive' thing? Kinda weird, huh?" questioned Nate as his hand gently rested on Lily's shoulder. She peered back at Nate with resentful eyes.

"I'm fine," Lily replied bitterly as she shrugged his hand off and joined Mary in the search. Nate stood in place, watching regretfully as his daughter walked away. With a sigh, he climbed the now-accessible bridge, which could be used as a ladder. Lily watched him from afar as he began traversing the cliffs, searching for a way across.

"Hey Sam, you find anything?!" he called out. There was no response.

"Sam, hey! You still there?" Still nothing.

"Goddamnit. Well, let's see here. I ruined my marriage, drove my daughter and best friend away. Two psychos and their army are after me, and now my brother's gone missing. But on the bright side, at least now there's no one around to tell me I'm an idiot."

"You're an idiot!" Lily shouted up at him. Nate looked down at her, shock covering his face. His head drifted down and he continued moving. Lily turned back to Mary, who had finished examining the cave.

"You know you'll have to forgive him sometime, right?" she advised.

"Yeah, I know, but… what he did was so _stupid_. I warned him we should've told her, but he didn't listen to me. Of course, I had to cover for him, so he forced me to lie too; me _and_ my fiancée. Now everything's a mess, and it's all his fault."

Mary stood in place, unsure of what to say. She lowered her chin and placed it between her thumb and index finger.

"… I forgave him, you know."

"Who?"

"Your father. He did horrible things, and he became an awful person, but I still forgave him. Now, obviously I didn't go back to him; there was no way to turn him back into the man I once loved, but not forgiving someone will eat at you for your entire life. I've moved on from him, and all I'm able to easily remember are the good memories. You should do the same with Nate, while there's still time left."

Lily looked to her mother with a flicker of a smile, then wordlessly walked to the cliffside and stared out into the ocean. She clenched her fist tightly, then released it. After a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, then turned towards the rocks where Nate was still meandering around. She took a few bold steps and leapt high into the air, landing on the grassy top of the platform. Nate stood on the other side, reaching for a small handhold in the rockwall the elevation was attached to.

" ... hey, Dad," she called quietly.

"Yeah, what is it, Lil?"

She held her breath and dashed toward him, embracing him in a tight bear hug.

"I forgive you for being an idiot," she cried.

He stood frozen, his arms slightly raised. Slowly, he wrapped them around her.

"… thank you."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm sorry for lying to Elena, and for forcing you to do it with me. I apologize for… everything."

They stood in a tight embrace as the ocean breeze rustled the trees. Sam peeked over the edge, saying "Hey, you guys gonna hurry up? I'm all for hugs, but we're on the clock remember?!"

"Yeah, sorry Sam! We're coming!"

As they went to join Sam, Mary finished climbing the bridge and walked passed Lily, giving her an approving smirk. Eventually they came across a mudslide leading into a massive brick cylinder dug into the earth. They stood there analyzing it for the best way down.

"Well, after you," Sam motioned toward the slope. Lily waltzed over to Sam and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Sure, Sam, I'll go first… after you!" She shoved him down the hill, sending him sliding down the muddy ridge.

"Woah, woah, woah!" he shouted as he accelerated toward the pit. Anxiously readying his grappling hook, he hooked it a branch just before plummeting toward the rocky ground at the bottom. Still swinging, he looked up to Lily and pointed, yelling "Don't ever! Do! That! Again!"

The three of them burst into laughter as Sam slowly slid down his rope to the bottom, his face infected by agitation. Once they gathered their composure, the rest of them joined Sam in the cavern. The left side of the area led down a deep, dark corridor. They armed their flashlights and gave them a shake, illuminating the cave. At the end sat a vertical stone gate, closed tightly against the ground. In front of it sat a huge stone button jutting from the floor. Nate carefully pressed his foot on it, causing the door to slowly rise into the ceiling. Just before it slammed shut, the four of them rushed through to the other side where they found a massive oval-shaped room. On the walls were three rows of spheres mounted on rails which spanned the room. The floor was made from what seemed to be lapis lazuli; in the middle was a carved platform shaped like Madagascar. On the imitation island was mounted the steering wheel of a pirate ship. Bright light shone in from windows in the ceiling.

"What do we have here?" Mary wondered.

"Looks like another trial," Lily answered.

Nate walked to the wheel and began twisting it. The spheres started sliding around the room, matching his movements.

"Huh, looks like they have to match the light," he evaluated.

"Ooh, I wanna do this one!" exclaimed Lily. She rushed to the wheel and shoved Nate out of the way. Excitedly, she moved the spheres around the room, lining them up with the light. As they hit the correct position, they sunk into the wall, raising statues of the pirate captains from the floor in front of them. As the last sphere sunk into place, another stone door rose into the ceiling adjacent to the first one, opening out to a cliff.

"Well, that's everyone, but… where's our star pirate?" asked Sam as they walked out onto the mossy rock terrace.

"I'd say he's… there," observed Mary.

A humongous stone statue of Avery began to rise on the small island adjacent to theirs. The effigy stood about thirty feet tall. Its left hand was rested on its hip, and in its right hand was a telescope raised to by its head.

"Heh, I'm starting to think our friend was a bit of a narcissist," Sam joked.

"No kidding. I knew pirate captains were full of themselves, but this is a bit much," Lily added.

"Let's go see what he has in store for us, huh?" Sam encouraged as he began to descend down the cliffside.

The group returned to the cave where their boat rested, gently rocking on the waves. Using their grappling hooks, they swung over the sharp rocks and landed in the refreshing water. They hurried into the boat and Lily hoisted the anchor. The engine roared to life and Nate sped off to the small island which hosted Avery's statue. Lily joined Sam and admired the tropical view. Lily noticed his gently trembling hands resting on the edge of the boat.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" Lily inquired.

"I'm so excited my hands are shaking," Sam replied.

"I'm with you on that one, Sam. I've been searching for this place for so long," Mary agreed.

"After fifteen years of you guys searching, I can only imagine the anticipation," Lily responded.

The boat drifted to a stop over the white sand and Lily vaulted onto the beach.

"Race you there, Sam!" she shouted.

"You're gonna eat those words, kid!" Sam retorted, accepting the challenge and sprinting to a twisting stone stairway installed in the statue's side.

"Hey, no fair you had a head start!" Sam huffed as he arrived mere seconds behind Lily, leaving Nate and Mary on the boat. Mary watched Lily with a tired smile until she disappeared behind ruins.

"We better hurry or they'll find the treasure without us," Mary chuckled.

"Yeah, let's go," Nate agreed as he hopped over the ledge and landed on the soft sand.

He outstretched his hand and assisted Mary off the boat.

"Thank you, Nate," Mary acknowledged.

"Don't mention it," Nate assured shyly.

The pair walked in silence as they ascended the stairwell.

"Hey, um, I'm sorry if I made you feel unwelcome. I was just scared Lily would leave. She'd been looking for you forever, y'know?" Nate explained.

"To be honest, when I found out who she is, I was hoping she would come with me, but I can tell she'd be much happier staying with you guys. She never said no, but I knew she wasn't thrilled about leaving you guys either," Mary responded.

"Heh, suppose I was worried for nothing. Sorry I took your daughter from you, I guess."

"Don't apologize; I lost any right to call her my daughter the second I left her in that orphanage."

Nate gave her a soft smile as they arrived at the statue.

"Did you really think you could beat her, Sam?"

"Never say die, right?" he heaved, leaning on his knees.

The unfamiliar sound of laughter filled the air as storm clouds rolled above them. Lily panned up to Avery's head where a spyglass rested in the giant's hand.

"Avery has a spyglass but he isn't looking through it," she observed.

"Maybe he's not the one who's supposed to look through it?" Mary suggested.

"Good idea," Nate complimented and strode to the statue. He cupped his hands and turned to Sam.

"Come on, Sam. I'll boost you up," Nate offered.

"Oh no. I'll let you do the honors," Sam declined and shadowed Nate.

With one swift movement, Nate leapt off of Sam's hand and reached Avery's shoulders. Once balanced, Nate peered through the spyglass, which pointed to a mountainous island surrounded by fog.

"Any skull shaped islands?" questioned Sam as they watched Nate from below. Nate studied the horizon before he rejoined the group.

"Big island, but no skull," Nate informed.

"That's got to be it!" Sam concluded.

"That's optimistic, considering everything," Nate mumbled.

Sam's eyes narrowed.

"You know you're allowed to feel a little bit of excitement over this," Sam reminded Nate irritably.

"I'll get excited once we get Alcazar's noose off your neck," Nate replied.

Mary faced Lily confused.

"I'll explain later," Lily assured.

"Okay," Sam shrugged.

"What?" asked Nate.

"I said 'okay,'" Sam repeated.

"No, no, no, your 'okays' are never just okay," Nate snapped.

Lily's eyes widened when she noticed irritation rising in Nate's expression and intervened.

"Boys, we're about to find Avery's treasure, and you're _fighting_? I understand we're all exhausted, but you can't let it get the better of you."

"Hey, uh, I think we need to save this for later. We got company," Mary interjected, pointing to a grouping of boats heading in their direction.

"Ah, crap," Nate cursed. "Here we go again."


	8. Shipwrecked

A fleet of boats marked with the Shoreline insignia were lined up in a row heading straight for the tiny island. By now the storm had arrived, blocking out the sun and drenching them in rain. Wind ripped at the trees and cast the sea into a cascade of raging waves.

"We've gotta get outta here. C'mon, everyone on the boat," Nate commanded as he began towards the shore. As they climbed into the boat, he turned the key and the engines roared to life. Lily pushed it into the water and jumped aboard.

"Nathan, get us outta here!" Sam shouted fearfully. Nate slammed the accelerator to the floor, jettisoning the craft through the water. Careening away from the flotilla threatening to consume them, they sped around the bend of the island. However, they were met by yet another armada. Nate quickly steered away from the island in the only direction free of opposition. Despite speeding through the water at the ship's maximum speed, the adversaries were rapidly converging on them.

"Looks like we're gonna have a fight on our hands!" Mary yelled over the roaring motors.

"We might as well conserve on what little fuel we have, then," Nate suggested, reducing their speed. Sam and Mary checked the ammo in their pistols while Lily closed her eyes, focusing power into her fists.

"Alright, here's the plan," Nate informed. "They don't have any explosives on those ships, so they'll just be shooting at us. I want everyone to duck behind the walls of the boat. When they come close, open fire. Lily, I need you to destroy as many of their engines as possible. You all got it?"

"Yessir," agreed Lily.

"Everyone take their positions, I'm gonna stop the boat." He twisted the key and silenced the engines. They ducked behind the walls and waited for their attackers to arrive. A single moment of silence passed before bullets started peppering the metal siding of their vessel. Peeking over the edge, Nate got a glimpse of their surroundings. Deeming their targets close enough, he stood up, shouting "Now!" as he began firing his pistol at the exposed Shoreline soldiers. The rest of the crew joined Nate in attacking Shoreline. Hot lead filled the air, striking down several factions of Shoreline fighters. Lily blasted fireballs toward the enemy engines, blowing off entire portions of ships, sinking them. The fight seemed endless as boat after boat appeared on the horizon. Suddenly, a massive ship appeared. 'Bigger Fish' was emblazoned on the side with a transparent shark painted behind the letters. Large cannons were installed on the front and sides of the ship. Soldiers could be seen inside the bridge controlling the colossal craft.

"Oh, shit - uh, Lily?! We've got a problem!" Nate called over the chaos.

"Already on it!" she replied. She crouched and crossed her arms over her chest with her palms facing her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she focused inward. She began hovering inches above the deck and her eyes shot open, emitting a blinding white light. Blue, black, and white flames fumed around her skin as she shot into the sky.

"Leave my family alone!" she shouted, her voice echoing off the crashing water. Her arms shot sideways, spouting a deluge of destructive flames. She began whipping them around so swiftly it seemed like they had split into millions of more limbs, each shooting a calculatedly accurate blast. Fire rained from the sky, crashing into the Shoreline ships, splintering them into rubble. Once the small boats were sunk, she turned her attention toward the gargantuan destroyer nearing their boat. Extending her arms toward it and thrusting her wrists together, she bombarded the warship with a blistering beam of light which pierced through its hull as if it were made of soft butter. As quickly as they were summoned, her flames vanished. Her eyes drifted shut as she plummeted down toward the sea. Nate leapt to intercept her descent, barely catching her in his arms before she slammed into the wooden deck. Mary and Sam joined around, bending in and analyzing her for life.

"Lily, are you okay?" Nate said in a panicked hush, his voice barely audible over the storm. Just as her eyes slowly began opening, the husk of the destroyer crushed itself into the side of their boat, obliterating it and tossing them into the violent ocean waves.

Lightning struck across the inky black sky followed by cracks of thunder. Lily rolled onto the rocky shore as the pounding rain stung against her back. She struggled to lift her heavy eyelids as her head throbbed with a blistering pain. She laid there, allowing the rain to cool her tight, aching muscles. Finally opening her bloodshot eyes, she tilted her head to either side, scanning the landscape for her family, yet no one was found. Enveloping fear of her family's unknown demise encouraged her to fight back against the all-consuming pain. Lily's cries were drowned out by the howling wind as she rolled over and struggled to her knees. Her eyes narrowed as they adjusted to the harsh conditions. _I've gotta keep moving. I __**need**_ _to keep moving_, she thought. _They can't be gone… they're out there, I've just gotta find them. _She stared out at the sea where terrifying waves towered high on the water's surface. Debris from the battle had washed up on the shoreline. Wind thrashed the palm trees behind her, threatening to snap the trunks as they bent toward the ground. Facing toward the island, she craned her neck up at the cliffs stretching to the sky as if they were about to consume the rocky beach.

Her stomach tightened as she began walking, feeling as if she could throw up after one step. Fighting through the pain, she traversed the rocky beach, occasionally slipping on the slick ledges and scraping her knees. Upon reaching a tall cliff, she observed the grounds below, searching for any signs of her family.

"Dad! Sam! Mary! Where are you?!" she shrieked. Her throat burned with the sound of every word.

_They probably can't hear me over the storm,_ she thought as she scaled the cliff, still determined to find her family.

She'd call out to her partners every few feet but got no response. Her determination waned as she wandered the coast. _Am I the only one who survived?_ she wondered.

Coming across another gigantic rockwall, she began climbing, her icy fingers twitching with each grip. Just before reaching the top, a lone rock gave way and she tumbled to the base of the cliff side. A sharp sting shot through her, causing her body to refuse every urge she gave for it to move.

"Dad, where are you…?" she whimpered as hot tears poured down her cheeks.

"Lily? Lily is that you?!" a familiar voice shouted over the wind.

Lily twisted her head to find Mary advancing against the storm.

"Mary!" Lily choked as pain consumed her.

Again she tried moving, but her body laid still. Mary knelt beside her and rested her hands on her trembling shoulders.

"I… I saw you fall. Are you alright?" questioned Mary.

"Everything hurts…" Lily mumbled.

Concern twisted Mary's face as she said this.

"Let's get you off this beach, I passed an opening into the jungle. We'll find shelter so you can rest up," Mary informed.

"But… we have to find Dad and Sam," Lily insisted.

"They can take care of themselves; we'll find them once the storm passes. Let's take care of ourselves for now."

Mary wrapped Lily's arm around her shoulders and carried her into the jungle as the storm continued to terrorize the island around them. After trudging through the thick mud of the harsh terrain, they found a lonely cave shadowed by a group of bushes. Lily collapsed to the cave floor as every muscle screamed. Lily winced as she adjusted herself against the cave wall. Mary gathered a few branches around the cave and arranged them into a small pile. Lily lifted her palm and tossed a small blue flame onto the branches. She watched the storm as thunder rolled above them and rain curtained the mouth of the cave.

"I used to hate thunderstorms," Lily commented.

"So did I, but John was able to break that fear. He once told me, 'As long as you're in shelter, a storm can't hurt you. I like to sit back and watch the show!'"

Lily weakly laughed, continuing, "When I first moved in with Dad, he caught me cowering in my room during a storm. He stayed with me and told me stories about a superhero who can control lightning. He said whenever it stormed, the hero was fighting monsters to protect us. Now I just like to imagine the battles he's up there fighting," Lily reminisced as lightning flashed across the sky.

A moment of silence passed as the two relaxed to the sound of the pouring rain.

"So, Lily, tell me a bit more about those powers of yours. You got them from the Chintamani Stone and the Djinn?" Mary asked.

"Like I said earlier, we found the Tree of Life in Nepal. We were fighting a war criminal named Zoran Lazarević, who wanted the power for himself and his army in order to take over the world. He threw me into the sap leaking from the tree, which I accidentally drank. Most people who drink it turn into monsters, but because I was so young, my body adapted to the new power. I crushed Lazarević into the ground, causing the entire area to sink into a crater, destroying the tree. Thankfully no one will be able to use this power for evil now it's gone."

"Wow… no wonder you're so strong. John had also been looking for the Stone - thank God he never found it. How about the Djinn?"

"Dad, Sully, and I found the lost city of Ubar in the Rub' al Khali desert, all while fighting an army led by a woman named Katherine Marlowe."

Mary's eyes lit up at the mention of Marlowe's name.

"Wait… Katherine Marlowe… she was John's boss for a while. It was right around the time they met he started to lose himself. I always hated that woman…"

"So did I. Her squinty weirdo of a right-hand-man used some sort of serum to control me… I almost killed Dad. A chemical had contaminated the water of Ubar, causing everyone to lose their minds. The city died and was lost to time. Marlowe was trying to get the chemical, which had been leaking from a massive urn said to contain the spirits of the Djinn. Dad and Sully had fallen into the water, and I dove in front of them to keep them from getting shot; in the process, I was struck in the stomach by a stray bullet. I sunk to the bottom and absorbed the inky black liquid coming from the urn, which would've killed me had it not been for the powers of the Chintamani Stone. You got a taste of their combined strength when I destroyed that huge ship. It sucks how hard it is on my body, though. Shoreline wouldn't stand a chance if I could use both indefinitely."

Mary sat there trying to comprehend what she'd just heard.

Leaning her head against the cave wall, she said, "You sure have been through a lot, haven't you?"

"It's been worth it," Lily smiled. "I'd rather this life than a boring, normal one. School, jobs, loans… that's not for me."

"Wait, you didn't go to school?" Mare asked, surprised.

"Dad got a homeschooling permit so he could take me along on jobs. Of course he taught me the basics - English, math, and whatnot, but archaeology has always been my main focus of study."

"So you wouldn't change any of it?"

"Well, it would've been nice to not have been an orphan, but… I'm satisfied with the hand I've been dealt. There are a lot of people much worse off than I've ever had it."

A flicker of regret fluttered from the corner of Mary's mouth, before she suggested, "We should probably turn in for the night. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Agreed. 'Night!"

"Goodnight, Lily."

They closed their eyes and got as comfortable as the rock wall would allow, drifting into a deep sleep.

A twinkling sunrise beamed on the horizon as rain droplets trickled to the jungle floor. Dark clouds from the previous night's storm could be seen fading into the distance of the glittering, calm ocean. Embers from the fire still flickered in the pile of brush centering the cave. Birds chirped and fluttered among the trees as they went about repairing their nests. Lily jolted awake the moment the sun's rays peeked through the banana leaves. She found Mary peacefully resting next to her and she couldn't help but smile. As Lily stretched, she noticed her muscles no longer screamed with pain, thankful her powers slowly healed her over night. The jungle's transformed atmosphere made it difficult for Lily to recall the event of how she and Mary arrived here.

Lily glanced back at Mary and gently shook her.

"Mary?"

She startled awake and sat upright. She observed her surroundings as if she'd forgotten where she'd been. Mary released a quiet yawn before she spoke.

"Sorry, Lil. Did I keep you waiting long?"

"No, I just woke up myself."

"Oh good," Mary sighed.

The sounds of the jungle filled the awkward silence that fell between them.

"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Mary.

"No, I kept thinking about Dad and Sam," Lily replied.

"I don't blame you; that storm was a doozie."

"I also overheard you talking in your sleep," Lily added.

Mary's eyes widened and her cheeks grew warm from embarrassment.

"What did you hear?"

"You were talking to John. Were you dreaming about home?"

A smile twitched as Mary's head fell.

"I was. You and I were in John's study, reading by the fire. It felt so real… I can still feel the heat from the flames," she recalled as her smile disappeared. Lily found her hand reaching for Mary's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I… wish things ended differently with you and him. You were close. No one deserves what you had to go through," Lily said, mist forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry too. I should've went back for you, but I was afraid I couldn't provide for you and be the mother you needed. At least something good came from my mistake," Mary paused.

Lily raised a curious eyebrow.

"You found a family who gave you a second chance."

Lily bit her lip as she struggled to meet Mary's gaze, as if she were ashamed of her emotional reaction. Mary's hand glided over Lily's and squeezed it tightly.

"Speaking of which, we better find them before Shoreline does," Mary insisted as she got to her feet.

"Right," Lily agreed as she wiped her tears away.

They stumbled back onto the beach, the tropical sun warming their skin. Scanning the beach, Lily noted all traces of the previous night's battle had disappeared with the storm.

"After the crash, I landed over there," Mary informed as she pointed to the far right side of the beach.

"I wonder where the other two ended up? We were all in the same boat, it couldn't have been far," Lily pondered.

"Let's get moving, we got a lot of ground to cover," Mary suggested as she began to descend to the water's ledge.

Along the way, Mary asked Lily about her life back home.

"I work at a local grocery store. The job's boring but I have great coworkers and a wonderful boss. After an incident, he gave me paid time off to rest; I never told him about this trip," Lily explained.

"Is there anyone else waiting for you when you get back?" Mary inquired.

"There is. Her name's Maddie, she's my fiancee," Lily added with a dorky grin.

"That's great, Lily," Mary commented.

"Yes… yes, she is. She's English with some Indian descent. She does a lot of the same stuff we do. She's smart and, yikes, she's stunning. I can't wait for you to meet her," Lily smiled as she babbled.

"I'm glad you found someone so great. I know things will go well for you two."

Lily's focus returned to the task at hand as they ventured forward. She heaved a heavy sigh when she looked up and saw yet more gargantuan cliffs scraping the sky. The pair travelled for miles as they searched for their missing partners.

"Here, let's see through this tunnel," Lily suggested, pointing to a dimly-lit cavern. They took out their flashlight and began forward. Lily had barely taken five steps before her foot hit something soft. Taking a sharp gasp of surprise, she pointed her flashlight down, revealing Nate's unconscious body.

"Dad!" Lily shrieked as she knelt down to him. His eyes were gently closed as if he were sleeping, and his face was covered with dark bruises.

"Dad? It's me, Lily," she called as she shook him.

Lily drew closer to Nate and placed her ear close to his mouth. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt a light breath. A few moments passed and Nate showed no indication of waking.

"Dad, please wake up," Lily begged as she shook him harder.

Without warning, Nate's eyes flung open.

"Watch out!" Nate screamed as he shot upright.

Nate sat there as he gathered himself and glanced at Lily and Mary.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Lily cried as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I thought I lost you…" Nate sighed as they embraced.

"We tried to look for you but the storm was too strong," Lily explained.

"You did what you had to do. I'm proud of you for making the decision to keep yourself safe until morning," Nate smiled, wincing as he adjusted himself to face Mary.

"Thanks for staying with her. Are you alright?"

"A few scrapes and bruises, but it's nothing I can't endure. How'd you end up passed out here?" Mary inquired.

"I slipped from the rocks up there," he said, gesturing to the ones jutting from the wall just above a hole in the cave's ceiling. "I've had worse, though. I'd rather this than a gutshot while hanging off the side of the mountain."

His face contorted with pain as he tried standing, to no avail. He slumped back to the ground, groaning as he held his side, which was stained with a maroon excretion.

"Dad, you're hurt…" Lily observed, reaching her hand toward the wound. Nate grasped her wrist before her hand began to glow.

"It's nothing I can't handle, Lil. Like I said, I've had worse," Nate declined.

"It's tough terrain around here. You won't make it in this condition," Lily insisted.

"You've already used a lot of your power. We don't want to risk you hurting yourself again. I'll be fine," Nate assured as he struggled to his knees.

"Dad, you can barely walk. Let me heal you, I can manage… please…"

"… fine," Nate sighed. "Just don't overdo it." He lifted his shirt, revealing a piece of rib extruding from his skin.

Lily placed her hand to his side. As it emitted a faint emerald glow, she pressed her hand against the injury, where a gentle steam began emanating. The rib slowly retreated back into Nate's body. He released a sigh of relief as the lesion completed its recovery.

"There, all better," Lily smiled.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. You feeling okay?"

"Never better!" Lily grinned, flexing her arm and grabbing her bicep.

"Glad to hear it. Let's get moving, we need to find Sam."

The trio exited the cave and continued their trek through the jungle. Suddenly, Nate put his hand up, saying, "Stop, I think I see something flashing in the distance."

Squinting, he saw a blinking reflection emanating from the adjacent mountain, faint in the morning sun.

"Sic… Parvis… Magna? My God, it's Sam!" Nate exclaimed, grabbing his flashlight and signaling the same morse code beacon. "We've gotta get over there, fast!"

They continued rushing through the jungle, scaling rocks and sliding down muddy descents. Eventually, they came across a sheer cliff dotted with small makeshift handholds. They began slowly climbing to the top. Just passed halfway to the top, Lily's eyes widened as the sound of crumbling rock echoed into the jungle. She glanced behind her to find the cliff tumbling towards the earth as Nate and Mary leapt toward the top.

"Dad, hurry!" Lily insisted as she stretched her hand.

Nate dove toward Lily's hand, barely catching it before she plummeted to the ground. Lily knelt down and snatched his wrist before she descended to the jungle floor. Mary knelt down and assisted Nate in pulling her to safety.

"You okay?" questioned Nate as concern contorted his face.

"I've had worse," she parroted in a playful, somewhat mocking tone.

"Okay, joker," Nate laughed, gently punching her arm.

Suddenly, a group of bushes began rustling, causing them to rapidly aim their guns toward it. Lily took a protective stance in front of Mary while Nate investigated the noise. Lily's body grew tense as a figure revealed itself and pointed their weapon at Nate. Lily readied herself as the two stared each other down. As the body revealed itself, she saw a familiar denim jacket and slicked-back hair.

"I nearly shot your head off," Sam chuckled nervously.

"Sam, you're okay!" Nate sighed.

"It's good to see you alive little brother," Sam agreed as they gripped each others' shoulders.

"Sam!" Lily exclaimed as she sprinted to her uncle.

"Hey there, partner. Are you alright? That attack must've took a lot out of ya," asked Sam as they embraced.

"Great, aside from having the image of Dad's protruding rib burned into my mind. Luckily I was able to heal it up just fine."

"Good to see you all in one piece," Sam nodded.

Nate claimed a seat on a nearby rock as Sam glanced at Mary.

"How about you, Mary? You alright?"

"About as good as anyone else here," she commented.

Lily joined Nate and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Come on, guys, we got a treasure to find," Sam encouraged.

"Hold up, man. I mean… what are we doing?" questioned Nate.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"I mean our supplies are at the bottom of the Indian Ocean," Nate sighed.

"Okay, so we steal some from Nadine's army," Sam suggested.

"Nadine's a trained professional, Sam. She wouldn't have supplies lying around for us to easily take," Mary informed.

"Yeah, and there's that. We're going against an _army_!" said Nate.

"That's never stopped us before," Lily reminded him.

"But we weren't marooned in the middle of nowhere," Nate commented.

"Dad…" Lily sighed.

"Look, just hear me out: crazy suggestion. Why don't we go down and at least secure one of Rafe's boats?" Nate requested.

"The boats can wait. You want to know what we're doing here? We're getting my life back, okay? We're doing that by stepping into that jungle and finding Libertalia," Sam huffed.

"Have you seen any signs of a massive pirate colony? Cause I sure the hell haven't," huffed Nate.

"You're a little late with developing doubts, don't you think?" Sam grunted.

"What about Scotland or Madagascar? That wasn't good enough evidence?" Lily asked Nate irritably.

"Can we at least acknowledge the chance that Avery's idea for a secret pirate utopia didn't pan out? We're swept up in this fantasy when instead we should be looking for a real way to save you!" Nate went on.

Lily stood in between the brothers when she noticed the anger radiating from Sam.

"Now listen, Sam, I do agree with Dad that we should come up with a plan before we continue, but this isn't the time to start clawing at each other's throats," Lily's eyes narrowed as she panned to Nate.

"Are you seriously doing this _again_, Dad? After everything we've been through, you're calling it quits?!"

"I almost lost you while searching for this fairy tale, Lil! I'm not going to let that happen," Nate grunted.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. You don't have to worry about me anymore!"

Sam butted in, adding, "I'm going to scour this island inch by inch if I have to. If you two are confused on what you're doing here, then you can go home," Sam said bitterly.

"Wait a minute, we can go home?" said Nate.

"Are you kidding me, Sam?" Lily glared.

"Do you know what we put on the line to get you here?!" Nate snapped.

"How about what I put on the line, okay? The last fifteen years of my life-" Sam began.

"This has nothing to do with that!" Nate interrupted.

"It has _everything _to do with that!"

"Boys, please. We need to discuss this calmly. This doesn't help anyone by fighting!" Lily begged.

During the brother's clash, Mary noticed a square shaped stone among the bushes behind Sam and approached it cautiously. She brushed the leaves away, revealing Avery's sigil etched in the stone.

"Guys, you may want to take a look at this…!" Mary called to her group.

The shouting came to a sudden halt as everyone shot a glance at Mary. Lily was the first to break away, joining her by the forest wall. Lily's hand glided over the sigil as she examined the stone.

"You don't think…?" Lily trailed off and dove deeper into the jungle.

To her right was a stone stairway coated with moss leading to a grassy hill. A lone wagon consumed by tall grass rested against a tree. A crumbling one story house blocked their path. Lily ventured inside with the group following close behind.

"Wow…" Mary gasped as they explored the area.

"Well, we're off to a good start," Sam commented.

"Yeah, let's hope the rest isn't buried under centuries of dirt and rock," Nate added.

"Glass half full, please Dad?" Lily huffed.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he responded nonchalantly.

Remains of a colonized civilization began to expand as they traversed further. They tumbled over fallen roofs and crept through tight crawl spaces until they reached a house missing a wall, offering a grand view of what lay before them. Loose boards creaked underneath their weight as they approached the ledge of a porch overlooking a scramble of buildings stretching to the foggy mountains resting on the horizon.

The structures were buried in vines, moss, and leaves, the wood bleached by centuries of exposure to the blazing equator sun. Small wagons filled with decayed boxes dotted the meager streets, littered with the remnants of cobblestones. Rusty streetlamps stood by the corner of most buildings, the glass panes dark and murky from years of abandonment. A massive white marble building rose on the eastern cliff, sided by several stone columns and topped by bronze domes.

Lily's jaw hung agape, awestruck by the breathtaking view. She turned to a misty-eyed Mary, whose hand was partially covering her mouth.

"After all this time… I was starting to believe it didn't exist, but here it is!" Mary choked.

Lily wrapped her arm around Mary as she quietly sobbed. Nate and Lily shot a glance at each other and exchanged tired smiles as if they were silently congratulating one another.

"So, what do you see?" questioned Sam.

Lily shadowed her father and observed the area before them.

"No houses, wide streets. Clearly a commercial district of some kind," Nate commented, analyzing the landscape.

"Yes, thank you for that, Nathan but c'mon. What do you see?" said Sam.

"You just want to hear me say it, don't you?" Nate inquired as he faced his brother.

"I reeeeally want to hear you say it," Sam replied gleefully.

Lily couldn't help but giggle at Sam's teasing.

"Alright… Libertalia," Nate sighed.

"Libertalia!" Sam chuckled, joyfully shaking Nate's shoulder. "The long lost legendary pirate utopia. Discovered, after three hundred years, by one Samuel Drake."

The crew shot angry glances at Sam.

"And?" Nate, Lily and Mary said in unison.

"Aaand his younger, slightly less charming brother and his entourage of ladies who happened to be tagging along for the ride. You know, I always knew you'd make something of yourself one day," Sam finished as he gestured towards Nate.

"This isn't my first lost city, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah just… enjoy the moment," Sam sighed as he admired the scenery.

"So guys, where do you suppose we start?" asked Lily as she scanned the rooftops.

"How about that building over there?" Mary suggested, pointing to the marble estate.

"Oh, you mean the one with the massive guard tower?" questioned Sam.

"Let's go see what it was guarding," Lily encouraged as she hopped off the deck and disappeared into the square.

"How long do you think this took to build?" asked Sam.

"Years… decades, even," Nate replied.

"How the hell did they keep it a secret all this time?" Lily added as she examined the area. "I mean, with how many satellites we have floating around, it's shocking no one noticed this."

She continued touring the shopping district and came across an abandoned clothing store. Intricate gowns now ripped and rotted from neglect lay strung on the walls. She reached for the most whole one and carried it to a nearby cracked mirror, holding it in front of herself so she could better admire the beautifully embroidered dress in front of her. Mary peeked inside and watched as Lily danced and the gown twirled around her.

"That looks good on you, Lily," Mary commented.

Lily came to a halt as she faced Mary and her face grew warm.

"Did I have any dresses like this back home?" asked Lily as she glanced back at the mirror.

"Nothing quite this… old-fashioned, but I have no idea what became of them," Mary nodded.

"I'm not one for dresses. I hated wearing my bridesmaids one for Dad's wedding," Lily laughed as she laid the gown on the nearby counter.

"I don't blame you. It makes it so hard to move around," Mary agreed.

Lily found Nate examining a stone statue with words etched across the surface.

"What's that, Dad?" Lily called as she rehung the dress and approached him. Sam and Mary shadowed her to the statue.

"It looks like some pirate code of conduct," Nate informed.

"Pirates had laws?" asked Lily.

"I thought the point of this place was having no rules?" questioned Sam.

"That's a little hypocritical, don't you think? Pirates having a jail?" Mary inquired as she read the list of instructions.

"I guess every group has it's assholes," Nate shrugged.

They continued through the seemingly-endless town, eventually coming across another statue of Avery. Mary leaned closer as she studied as strange icon of what looked like a skull wearing a straw hat, bottomed by crossed swords etched at the statue's base.

"I saw a few of them while searching for you three," Sam added.

"Who do you think were marking these places?" asked Nate as they continued forward.

"Maybe invaders? I'm sure they had plenty of enemies," Lily suggested.

The group continued through the district until their path brought them to a crumbling house. Lily took the lead and descended into the basement exposed through a hole in the floorboards. They found themselves in a long, twisting tunnel, obviously dug by settlers. The walls were crudely boarded up with planks coated in dust. The tunnel branched out into opposite directions, creating a maze. Lily stood at the fork, deeply pondering on which way to go.

"I used to travel in tunnels like this. Sewers were a great way to evade cops," Lily informed.

Guilt struck Mary's face as Lily said this.

"Let's try this one," Lily suggested, pointing to the one her right.

"Lead the way, captain," Nate encouraged.

"This reminds me of the labyrinth we found in Greece," said Lily as she glanced back at Nate with a smile.

"Yeesh. Let's not relive that awful trip," Nate cringed.

"You found a labyrinth in Greece?" Mary inquired.

"We were helping one of Sully's friends with a mystery involving labyrinths," Lily explained. "It feels like we got lost a million times, but now I'm even better at pathfinding than Dad or Sully."

"That must've been exciting," Mary commented.

"If you call being attacked by spooky ninjas exciting, sure," said Nate, cringing at the memory.

"Spooky ninjas?" questioned Sam.

"I'll tell you about it later," Lily offered.

"Can't wait," he nodded.

They finally arrived at a tiny room occupied by tables covered in faded maps and documents. Rotted crates dotted the cluttered space, and the small number of chairs had degraded into barely-recognizable mounds of wood.

"Looks like a hideout of some kind," Nate observed.

"Yeah, but who would they be hiding from? Themselves?" asked Sam.

Lily examined the area until she came across a roughly sketched map resembling the surrounding area. Her eyes narrowed when she recognized the location.

"Hey guys, check this out," Lily called as she studied the map.

"Oh wow, it's a layout of the commercial district," Nate gasped.

"But what's one doing down here?" Lily pondered.

Sam approached the map, examining it until he found a specific building.

"Boom! There's our treasury, right there," said Sam, pointing to the sketch matching the building outside.

"Alright, let's go claim our treasure!" Lily encouraged as she led them deeper around the corridor.

Thick dust made it difficult to breathe as they travelled the tangle of passages. Finally, they found one with a dim light emanating from the end. Following it, they arrived at a small well, bottomed by some tilted wooden boards halfway covering the hole from which sun leaked in.

"Well, only one way out. I'll go down and check it out," Nate volunteered. He hooked his grapple to the bar topping the well, tugging on it to ensure its stability.

"I'll come back up and let you guys know what I find. See ya in a bit!" he said before descending into the glowing pit.

"So is he… always like this?" Mary asked.

"Like what?" Lily questioned.

"You know, first to jump, first to dive, a bit bossy, kind of annoying."

"Oh. Yeah, usually. You get used to it after a while."

"He really hasn't changed since we were kids," Sam added. "Even when we were in the orphanage he would get into fights and try to boss around the smaller kids."

"Hah, sounds about right," Lily chuckled.

The rope suddenly began jiggling as Nate reemerged from the well.

"Did I hear anyone talking about me?"

"N-No…" Lily blurted out."

"Sure," Nate replied unbelievingly. Turning to the rest of the group, he continued, "Anyway, we've got a problem. Shoreline's up ahead, and I didn't see any other way outta here. Looks like we've got a fight on our hands. Any ideas?"

"Well, we've got guns…" Sam suggested, patting his pistol.

"There's _a lot_ of them out there. I doubt we could shoot our way out of it. We've gotta be sneaky."

Lily tucked her chin between her right thumb and index finger, proposing, "We don't make any noise sliding down there. What did it look like?"

"There was only one house we could reasonably swing to, and it had a guard stationed in it."

"Only one?"

"Yeaaaaah?" Nate replied, nervous at what Lily was about to suggest.

"Why don't we swing onto that guy and take him out without a peep, then do some Tom Clancy action on whoever's left?"

"Tom Clancy?" Sam questioned.

"Spy books and video games. I'll show you later," Nate assured. "Mary, you got a rope?"

"How else do you think I could get around these places?" she joked, holding up her nearly-identical grapple.

"Good. I'll go down first and the rest of you follow. Sam, you go with Mary on the right. Lily, you're with me on the left. Everyone understand?"

The three of them nodded in unison, readying their hooks. Nate returned to the pit, with his grapple unhooking several seconds later, shortly followed by a thump and a man's muffled yelp.

"Wish me luck!" Lily smiled to the others as she left to join Nate. Descending from the hole, she found herself dangling beneath a cliff, the forest canopy dwarfed by its distance below.

_Don't look down… don't look down…_ Lily thought as she aimed for the crumbling house where Nate crouched hidden. Swinging her legs, she built up momentum until finally giving her rope a quick snap, unhooking it and sending her hurtling toward the splintering wood. Landing with a soft thud, she stumbled forward into the meager cover offered by the crippled wall exposing the rest of the area.

A small village of houses dotted the cliffside, barely clinging to the rock with their dry, brittle supports. Leafy vines hung from the sun bleached cliffs to their left, on top of which more buildings rested. To the east could be seen the now fully-risen sun, scorching the area with its heat.

Lily peaked over her meager cover to scout the area. She counted the shiny helmets bouncing around throughout the buildings, indicating where soldiers were located. Startled by another couple thuds, she looked back as Mary and Sam joined them.

"Nice of you to join us," Nate hushedly joked.

"So what are we lookin' at, Little Brother?" Sam asked.

"About twenty of them; sound right, Lily?"

"Give or take," she responded, giving a so-so hand gesture. "We've had worse." Mary's eyes widened in surprise at what she'd just heard.

"Worse?" she mouthed.

"Nepal, Lazarević… ya know," Lily winked. Mary nodded regrettably.

"Okay, everyone knows their duties. Let's go," Nate said, jabbing his hand toward the buildings before them. The four split into their respective pairs, setting out on their stealth mission.

As they crept through the towering weeds, Nate turned to Lily, advising, "Alright, I don't want you using your powers for this. You-"

Lily silently shot Nate a disapproving look. "Yes, I know!" she whispered. "I'll only use them if necessary."

Not looking where she was going, Lily bumped her face into a pair of camo legs and rugged combat boots. Her heart dropped. Looking up, she found a Shoreline soldier staring straight down at her.

"They're over here!" he shouted to his comrades as he aimed his rifle toward her. She grabbed it and tore it from his hands, ripping the attached shoulder sling in the process. Standing up, she swiftly kneed him in the chest and pumped a few rounds in his torso. Groaning and clutching his gut, he slumped to the ground, motionless. Not a second later, several more guards came running toward them, guns drawn.

"Well, looks like I'll need 'em!" Lily shrugged to Nate, his face drenched in irritation.

Tossing the rifle to the ground, she rushed at their enemies, ripping through them and leaving behind an azure streak of flames linking them together as they fell to the ground dead. To her right she heard the pop of gunshots. Glancing to their point of origin, she found three soldiers firing at Sam and Mary who had taken cover behind two feeble stone pillars.

_The soldiers must have found them while running over here,_ Lily thought. Tearing her pistol from its holster, she fired three precise shots into their necks, the only place the Shoreline combat armor failed to protect; they dropped like the rest. Reholstering her gun, she listened for any further danger, but only the sounds of the jungle entered her ears.

"So you really think that was a necessary time to use them?" questioned Nate, walking up behind her. "We've got pistols and they're not low on ammo. The four of us could have handled tha-"

"Nathan Drake!" shouted Lily. "I am _not_ a child anymore! They're _my_ powers, so if I deem it necessary to use them, that's _my_ choice, not yours, so stop trying to control me!"

Nate's stunned face turned to one of disappointment.

"Right… sorry. I guess it's been so long since we've done this, I fell back into my old habits. I won't try to control you anymore. I promise."

"Apology accepted," she replied. "Let's keep moving, we're almost there."

They continued through the shanty buildings until they finally arrived at the entrance to the marble chateau. They were greeted by the gruesome sight of skeletons strewn about the grounds which were filled with boxes, barrels, wagons, swords, and spears.

"Well guys, I see our missing colonists," Sam announced as they roamed the battlefield.

"Cannons, improvised barricades… what the hell happened here?" Nate pondered.

"Some kind of battle…" Mary replied.

"The real question is; who's fighting who, and why?" Nate continued.

"Some of these bodies are dressed a bit more fancy," Sam noted.

"They look like soldiers," Mary added.

"Colonists against the leaders… their government, perhaps?" Lily theorized.

Walking up the tall stairs in front of the building, they pushed open the heavy stone doors which lead to a long, rocky hall. Waltzing to the end, they were greeted by two massive angel statues mounted on either wall just before the beginning of another building hidden behind a grand golden door sided by two matching levers.

"Mary, Sam, you wanna do the honors?" Nate offered.

"It'd be my pleasure," Sam smiled as he walked over to the right lever. "Well, Mary, are you gonna join us?" he asked, motioning to the one opposite him.

"… sure," she grinned, skipping to the device.

"On three," he advised. "One… two… three!"

With a hard pull, they yanked the levers backward, causing a loud thunk to echo through the cavern as the golden doors swung open. Walking through, they were met by toppled and broken empty bookcases. Broken dresses and trunks cluttered the ground. Vegetation overran the building as vines crawled through cracks in the walls. Portraits of the twelve captains lined the room, the word _thief _painted over them.

"… aaaand it's empty…" Sam sighed irritably.

"Of course it is," Lily grumbled.

"Do you think it was Rafe?" Mary suggested.

Nate turned to a marble table coated with dust and swiped his finger over the surface.

"No. Nothing's been touched here for hundreds of years," Nate concluded.

"Alright then… search for clues?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, search for clues," Nate agreed.

The four of them scattered about the treasury. While Lily scavenged through an antique trunk, she recovered a faded manifest with cursive writing scribbled across the page. Lily examined the document as Nate approached her.

"How are you holding up?" questioned Nate.

"Could be better, could be worse," she replied. "I wish Mom and Sully were here."

"So do I," he added, a half-frown pulling down a side of his mouth.

His expression told Lily he had more to say but didn't know how to initiate a conversation.

"… Let me know if you find anything interesting," Nate said, breaking the silence before walking away.

"Will do," Lily nodded and continued searching.

A few quiet moments passed until Sam gestured for Nate to join him.

"Hey Nathan, check this out," he beckoned.

Nate joined Sam and noticed the coin in his hands.

"What d'you got?" questioned Nate.

"Libertalia money," Sam showcased a brass coin

"This has Avery's sigil on it," Nate said, observing the coin's details.

Lily approached Nate and studied the coin.

"He must've melted down the gold and made his own currency," Lily noted.

"So based on that, with the manifests on the shelves… the treasure was here." Sam began, pointing at the ground. "But that leaves the bigger question…"

"Where is it now?" Mary finished.

They stood for a moment, thinking deeply.

"Okay, so we know there was fighting outside," Sam recalled.

"Yeah, and inside," Nate added.

"Do you think the colonists stole it?" Mary theorized.

"No, I think they were trying to reclaim what was theirs," Nate interjected and pointed to the portraits on the wall.

"Look, there's Avery, Tew, and the other Founders, all marked with the word 'thief.' Not 'murderer,' not 'tyrant…'"

"Thief," Sam repeated.

"So by the time the colonists busted in here, the treasure was already gone," Mary concluded.

"Yeah, because these guys took it for themselves," Nate commented.

"Pirates will be pirates," Lily shrugged.

She glanced at Sam who was staring at the collapsed ceiling.

"I know where they moved it," Sam announced.

"Where?" asked Mary.

As Sam poked his finger at the ceiling, everyone's eyes panned to a colorful painting of the island dotted by a clutter of houses.

"Well I'll be go to hell, it's a map of Libertalia!" Lily gasped.

"Yep, there's our treasury," said Sam gesturing to the building identical to the one they occupied.

"So if we follow the map to the other side of the island… look right there!" Sam glided his finger to a circle of mansions labeled New Devon.

"New Devon. Wait, Avery was from Devon, Enlgand," Nate recited.

"He sure was," Sam nodded.

"Those are some large mansions," Lily commented.

"Each of them has its own sigil too," Nate noted.

"… and that's where our captains lived," said Mary gleefully.

"Whaddaya say we climb that watch tower and get our bearings?" Nate suggested, gesturing to the towering structure behind the treasury.

"Sound like a plan to me," Lily agreed.

"Now the only question remaining: how do we get out of here?" asked Sam as he stared up at the crumbling wall leading to the tower.

Lily scanned the collapsing roof until she came upon a chandelier. While the main structure was in shambles, the chain was still intact.

"We can swing across the chandelier," Lily suggested.

"Huh, reminds me of Godfrey's chateau in France. Good idea, Lil. Lead the way."

Lily strode to a shelving unit close the chain holding up the chandelier and climbed her way to the top of the decoration. Ascending even higher on the chain, she began to swing, finally letting go and flying to the next one, then the third, which she used to vault onto the paintings and climb out of a hole which had formed in the roof.

"Nice work, kid! We'll be right up!" Sam called from the floor below.

"Better hurry up or I'll take that treasure for myself!" Lily replied loudly, grinning before rushing to the edge of the building. Everyone mimicked Lily's route until they all reached the roof. Joining her at the side of the building, they were greeted by a tall tower with a rounded roof, stretching even higher toward the sky. Metal rods twisted into circular ends jutted from the sides of each story.

"Looks like the ground's buckled all around the tower," Nate analyzed. "Now what?"

"Well, I do see one way…" Lily observed, equipping her grappling hook. With a few swings, she hooked it around one of the metal rods, giving it a tug to ensure its security.

"Geronimo!" she shouted, leaping from the building and swinging into a window of the adjacent tower. Mouth agape, Nate glanced at his brother and Mary, both of whom gave him a shrug.

"I guess that's one way to do it," he laughed. Again, they followed Lily into the next building.

The floors of the multi-story tower had deteriorated into their inner wooden thatching through which sunlight leaked from the upstairs windows. Chairs, tables, and hope chests dotted the levels. Each floor contained a ladder leading to the next one up. After they got to the top, Lily placed her hands on the railing as she analyzed the layout of the island. A gigantic mountain topped with an oddly curved shape towered above the jungle canopy adjacent to the tower. Fields of trees stretched over the horizon in every discernable direction. The shimmering ocean could barely be seen between the mountains to the east. Lily stood in awe as she absorbed the breathtaking view.

"This is incredible. I missed moments like this," Lily sighed.

"I'm so glad we found this place," Mary smiled.

The sounds of the jungle and ocean waves filled the silence as they searched for their next destination. Lily circled the perimeter of the tower until she joined the others who were observing a clutter of rooftops peeking over the trees.

"There it is, just on the other side of the river," Sam announced, pointing to the mansion peaks.

"Why don't we go rob from the rich, huh?" Nate joked.

"You got it, Robin Hood!" Lily cheered.

"Is there a path down to the bottom?" asked Mary as she peered over the edge to find Sam excitedly climbing down

"Ah… of sorts," Sam replied. "How long do you guys think it'll take us to get to New Devon?"

"Couple hours, most likely. Depends on what, or who, we bump into along the way," Nate guessed as he, Mary, and Lily joined Sam in his descent.

Suddenly, a fiery metal bolt slammed into the side of the tower, obliterating the balcony it had impacted.

"RPG!" shouted Sam, barely audible over the rush of the flurry of munitions hurtling passed. "Hurry, through these windows!" he instructed before diving through the crumbling windowsill.

Dodging falling boulders, they followed his directions, barely making it inside before the platform outside the window got destroyed by debris. Rushing down the stairs lining the walls, a fireworks display of explosions lit up the top part of the tower, raining rubble down upon them. Suddenly, the tower began splitting in half. With no time to escape, they clung to the wall plummeting toward the cliff, barely landing on the edge and creating a platform for them to run across. Looking back, Lily noticed the other half disintegrating into dust.

Despite the building's destruction, the onslaught continued, now with soldiers wielding machine guns. The bullets peppered the crumbling foundation beneath them as they rushed to the other side. Mary lagged behind everyone else, who had already made it to solid ground. Just before she made it, the tower finally gave way and started falling into the ravine below, forcing her to dive for safety. Lily stretched her hand out, barely grabbing Mary's wrist, rescuing her from the hungry maw. "Thanks," Mary huffed before they continued their escape. Rushing toward the end of the corridor they had arrived at, Lily burst through a boarded-up door. As the other three followed behind her, Nadine appeared from behind the door and tackled Nate to the ground, pounding his head against the splintery planks of the floor.

A burning rage surged from within Lily. As Sam went to pry her off, Lily grabbed Nadine's neck and chucked her through the wall facing the cliff, sending her plummeting into the building below.

"Hey, I had that!"

"You're welcome," Lily smirked as she leapt through the newly-formed hole and landed in the building below. Bruised and bloody, Nadine slowly stood back up, raising her fists.

"I'd really hate to hurt that lovely face more than I already have, Nadine. Just give it up. You can't even lay a finger on me."

"I know that, but you don't think my men are on their way here right now? All I have to do is buy them some time," she replied, exhausted.

Nate and Sam jumped down behind Lily, readying themselves to fight.

"Come on, Nadine, there's three of us, and Lily _literally _has superpowers. Give up," Nate grunted.

"That'd be the wise thing to do," Sam added.

"Hey, where's Mary?" Lily questioned.

"She couldn't make the jump, so she went to find another way down," Nate answered.

"Enough chatter, let's go!" shouted Nadine, rushing at Sam. Before she could collide with him, however, Lily dashed between them in the blink of an eye. Her chin was low as her tempestuous gaze was locked on Nadine.

"Stay away from my family," she growled as hot, violent wind rushed around her body, pushing back Nadine, whose face was becoming increasingly fearful. Lily slowly started stepping toward her target, her eyes dimly glowing blue. Nadine took a mighty swing at Lily, who was unfazed by the attack. Though her head was turned sideways by the impact her eyes stayed locked.

"My turn."

She slammed her fist into Nadine's stomach, forcing her to double over. Cupping her fist in her left hand, she raised it high above her before slamming it down on her prey. The force of the collision shoved her through the floor, which shattered in a chain reaction, sending the building's occupants plummeting to the cliff edge below.

After being whipped about in the flurry of splinters, Lily's back crashed into the earth. She sharply gasped as she twisted onto her stomach and rested on her palms. Nadine began to crawl towards Lily's pistol that flung from her holster upon impact. Lily watched as Sam dove to the gun, snatching it before Nadine's fingers could reach it. His arm snapped into place as he aimed the weapon at Nadine's head.


	9. Betrayal

"You're fast… but not that fast," Sam spat as he got to his feet.

"Hey, forget about her. We need to get out of here and find Mary before-" Nate began.

The stomps of footsteps stormed the cliffside as they turned to find Rafe holding Mary at gunpoint, followed by a number of heavily armed guards, their rifles trained on them. Sam reached for Nadine and locked his arm tightly around her neck, harshly pressing the gun barrel against the side of her head. A bead of sweat rolled down Lily's cheek as she met Mary's worried glance.

"Well this is interesting. Nate, Lillian," Rafe greeted.

His head tilted to the side as he panned to Sam.

"Samuel," he said menacingly.

"Put your guns down. All of you!" Sam demanded.

"… no!" Rafe sassed.

"Rafe, this guy's on edge," said Nadine.

"Don't worry about him, Nadine. These guys don't kill anyone in cold blood, it's just not their style," Rafe assured.

"You willing to bet her life on that?" Sam threatened.

"Go ahead, shoot her," Rafe insisted.

"If I die, you all die," Nadine promised.

"So be it," Sam challenged.

Heat gathered in Lily's fist as she watched the exchange. Rafe glanced at her and noticed the blue flame emanating from her hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said gesturing towards the flame.

"I'll be fine, Lily," Mary soothed in a hushed whisper.

"Lil," Nate whispered, his face motioning toward her hand. Her anger subsided when she noticed his concerned expression.

"Not here," he respired.

Rafe gave a devious chuckle as he returned his attention to Sam.

"Not another step!" Sam commanded as his finger inched closer to the trigger.

"You mean… like this?" Rafe teased as he pressed his gun against Mary's temple.

"Sam…" Lily quivered.

"Go on, then. Shoot her!" Rafe encouraged.

Lily's eyes widened as Sam's finger fidgeted on the trigger. In an instant, Lily was as his side and lifted his arm in the air as a loud pop rang.

"It's done, okay?! It's done!" shouted Lily as she returned her gun to its holster and raised her hands above her head.

"Ah-ah, on the ground," Rafe barked, motioning toward Lily's weapon. Begrudgingly, she unholstered it and tossed it at his feet before returning her hand to the air.

Nadine broke away and rejoined her group, glaring daggers at Rafe as she passed him.

"'Don't worry Nadine, it's not their style,'" she mocked angrily.

"What can I say, I didn't think he had it in him?" he retorted.

"Samuel, Mary… the two traitors," he seethed. "Get over there," he commanded, shoving Mary to the ground by Sam.

"Hold on… traitor?" Nate asked, turning to Sam.

"Nathan, I…" he began.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold on. What did he tell you?" Rafe snickered.

"Hector Alcázar broke him out, and he owes him a lot of money," Nate explained. "You're a businessman, let's just… work out a deal. Look, you wanna find Avery's treasure? We'll help you find it. In exchange, you let us live… and you get a small cut. Please, we just need enough to buy him his freedom."

"Buy him his freedom? Nate, Hector Alcázar died in a shootout in Argentina, like, six months ago. I'm the one who got Samuel out."

"What-?" Nate gasped as he looked back to Sam, whose gaze was fastened to the ground in front of Nate's feet.

"Liar!" Lily shouted at Rafe.

"Oh, _I'm_ the liar?" he refuted. "The thing is, I never stopped looking for Avery's treasure. Since you two backed out after Panama fell through, I joined up with Mary; we just kept running into these dead ends. Then I hear our dear ol' Samuel Drake, the world's greatest authority on Avery, is alive and somewhat well. There was no breakout. I bribed the prison warden and your brother waltzed right out the front gate. He worked with Mary and I for two years, trying to track down the second Saint Dismas cross, before he ran off to find you guys."

"No… no, that's bullshit," Nate countered.

"Go on, tell him, Mary," Rafe instructed.

"… Mary?" Nate questioned.

"I… I'm sorry, I thought you knew! It just… never came up," she apologized.

"Sam, please say it's not true…" Lily begged.

He stayed silent, his eyes darting between the Nate and Lily.

"Aw, Sam… no…" Nate murmured.

"Listen, Nathan, Avery's treasure was ours, it was always ours…" he pleaded.

"I left my life for you! _We_ left our life for you!" Nate shouted, motioning toward Lily.

Rafe took a couple steps closer.

"Look, Nate, if it's any consolation, he duped me too. He pulled a Houdini on me. He brought you, the girl, and that old man back into the mix, and I cannot lie, Sam, that _really _pissed me off. But you know… all behind us now."

"You don't deserve it," Sam growled.

"Oh, and you do? Last time I checked, we're all a bunch of thieves, digging around where we shouldn't."

Nadine stepped to Rafe.

"Rafe, one way or another, end it, or I will…" she threatened.

"Well, you heard the lady," he said as he trained his gun on them.

Nate took a protective stance in front of Lily.

"If you miss one clue, you can kiss that treasure goodbye. You said it yourself: you keep running into dead ends. Why don't you face it, Rafe? You _need_ us," Nate challenged.

The sounds of the jungle filled the tense silence. Rafe studied Nate as he considered his argument.

"Yeah, you're right…" he admitted irritably. "Well, you're only half right. I just need Sam and Mary," he seethed as he panned the gun in Nate's direction.

"Now wait, you're making a big mistake. We can-" Nate began.

Lily's heart pounded against her chest as a loud pop erupted. She found herself tumbling forward as Nate pushed her away. The bullet struck Nate's shoulder and he clutched it in agony, stumbling backwards over the cliffside.

"Dad!" Lily shouted, diving toward the ledge as she reached for her father. Their fingers barely skimmed as he plummeted towards the ocean of trees. Her body froze from fear as his head crashed into a stray rock jutting from the cliffside before disappearing into the canopy below.

"Dad…" Lily cried as warm tears stung her eyes. She felt as if her soul left her body as an empty feeling filled her core.

_If only I was faster, I could've_… Lily thought as she stared blankly ahead.

"Come on, we don't have all day. Mary, grab your crybaby of a daughter and let's go," Rafe ordered bitterly.

Mary approached Lily cautiously and knelt beside her.

"Lily, we have to go."

"No, I have to save him! He needs my help!" Lily insisted.

"There's nothing we can do for him. There's no way he could've survived that fall."

"But…"

"We'll worry about it later. Come on…" she insisted, gently placing her hands on her shoulders and leading her to her feet.

Lily's head sharply angled itself toward the ground as she wept. Mary continued to keep a consoling arm around Lily as they joined Rafe. Guilt consumed Sam as he watched his niece's expression transition into a lifeless stare.

"Lil, I…" he choked.

Lily shot a spited, tearful glance at Sam as she passed.

Rafe stopped walking and turned to Mary.

"What were you guys doing on that tower?" he growled, pointing to the destroyed structure behind them.

"Searching for New Devon," she replied reluctantly.

"New Devon?" Rafe questioned.

"It's where Avery and the other captains lived. We believe Avery hid his treasure there," She informed.

"If you get us there, I might let your betrayal slide," he offered.

"Guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Mary snarked.

"Don't push it," he snapped.

A familiar depression enveloped Lily as she followed Mary through crumbling buildings overrun by vegetation. There were times she caught Sam staring at her as if he wanted to say something, but he stayed silent, which didn't bother her as she was still furious with him.

Lily's mind drifted to Sully and Elena, her heart growing heavy at the realization she'd have to inform them of Sam's deception and Nate's demise. She pressed her hand against her chest in a tight fist, as if she were trying to resist the emptiness consuming her.

The town slowly transitioned into a thick jungle as they tumbled over fallen logs and roots, fighting against overgrown bushes while venturing toward New Devon. After a few hours passed, they could hear the faint rush of water echoing through the trees.

"We must be close, I can hear the river," Sam observed.

Rafe turned to Nadine with a stern look.

"Why don't you and your boys scout ahead and see if there's a way across?" he suggested.

Nadine motioned to her troops for them to scout ahead. They immediately followed her silent command, running ahead to make sure the area was safe.  
Lily trudged behind Rafe as Mary and Sam shadowed her, a soldier keeping a rifle trained on them at the rear of the line.

"Lil, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sam questioned, walking closer to Lily.

Lily continued ignoring him as she surveyed the river bank adjacent to them.

"Hey, keep it down back there!" Rafe shouted.

"We're just talking!" Sam retorted.

"… fine, just don't try anything funny," he hissed.

"Got it, no jokes," Sam chived. He glanced back to Lily.

"Listen, I never meant to hurt you or Nathan," he continued. "I just wanted to get ahead of Rafe. It's just… we'd been searching for this since we were kids, and all that time in prison… it's all I could think about. Finding it with Rafe, it just… felt wrong, ya know?"

Rafe glanced back with an angered expression.

"Do you have _any_ idea what this did to our family, Sam?!" Lily shouted as he faced him."You knew my mother was alive and said _nothing_ about it when I mentioned her? _And _my father is dead because of you!" Lily shrieked, warm tears stinging her eyes.

Sam glanced to the ground, a frown stretched across his face.

"Sam wasn't the one who pulled the trigger, Lily. You should be angry at Rafe, he's why we're in this situation," Mary interjected.

"And you!" Lily snapped, turning to Mary. "You knew Sam had been working with Rafe and never mentioned it once!"

"I thought he had told yo-"

"Bullshit! You just wanted to try stealing me away from my family, but news flash: I already have a mother, so stop trying to replace her!" she huffed, stomping further toward the front of the group.

"I'm… gonna go check what the troops found. Nadine, come with me. You there, make sure they don't go anywhere," Rafe commanded the soldier, an uncomfortable expression covering his face. The guard shifted his stance, ensuring his aim was accurate as he stood behind them.

Lily walked to a nearby rock and sat, her arms folded and back hunched as she faced away from the group. Her harsh words had pierced Mary, who had buried her face in her hands as she quietly wept.

"I'm sorry, Mary," Sam sighed as he gently rubbed her back.

"She's right though, we should have told them," she sobbed.

"But what if Nathan said no? We needed him for this, and I didn't want to find the treasure without my brother."

"If we had just told the truth, we wouldn't be in this mess," she affirmed. "Now Rafe's gonna kill us the moment he finds that treasure, and who knows what happened to Nate? You saw that cliff, he probably _is_ dead!"

"He's survived worse, he'll be fine," Sam replied, slightly irritated.

"Worse than getting shot in the arm and falling from a cliff?"

"Try gut shot, trapped in a train dangling from a cliff in Nepal."

Before Mary could respond, Rafe and Nadine returned from the jungle.

"We found a collapsed bridge up ahead, we need to find a way around," Rafe announced. He glanced down at Lily, still sitting on the rock. Lazily lifting his finger toward her, he asked nonchalantly, "… what's wrong with her?"

"What's it to you?" she snapped.

"Watch your tongue, brat," Rafe warned as he took a few steps closer to Sam and Mary.

"Or what, you'll shoot me? Go ahead, it's not like I have anything left to lose," Lily encouraged.

"I just might," he threatened.

"Everyone move out, we've gotta get to that bridge," he commanded.

It wasn't long until they reached the river's edge. The rushing water stretched for miles in both directions as it twisted into the jungle.

"I could knock a tree down so we can cross," Lily suggested.

"With what? It's not like we brought an ax along," Nadine said.

"Superpowers, remember?" said Lily as she poked her temple.

"Then why haven't you used them to free yourself?" she questioned.

"I'm fast, but not faster than a bullet,' she responded, motioning to the guard behind Sam and Mary. "I'm pissed at them, but not enough to let them die."

"I see," Nadine scoffed. "Off you go, fetch us a tree."

Lily walked to the thickest tree she could find and stanced her feet at the base of the trunk. Clutching her fist, she struck it into the wood, knocking the tree loose of its trunk. With a quick grunt, she mounted the tree on her shoulder, holding it steady with her arms.

"See? Problem solved," Lily shrugged sarcastically as she strode towards the bridge, tree in tow.

"I'd stay on her good side, Rafe. It'd hurt to get hit by a punch like that; I couldn't do a thing against her by myself, either," Nadine warned.

"Why do you think I've got the other two goons under constant gunpoint?" Rafe responded.

Signs of civilization dotted the jungle as they came upon more structures. They were larger and made from bricks, contrasting with the wooden buildings of the first town. The side of several buildings had been fitted with a massive wooden mechanism enabling the lifting of a large wooden platform, an ancient imitation of elevators. Lily avoided eye contact with Sam and Mary as they continued through New Devon. They traversed winding caves and scaled cliffs separating groups of buildings until they reached a large opening. Patches of tall grass scattered about the area were accompanied by towering wooden stakes. Lily's eyes panned to the sky where she found cages containing skeletons attached to the stakes. The bolts creaked loudly as they swung in the breeze. Lily cringed as they crept between the poles toward the collapsing two-doored gate ahead of them. A small puddle had collected in front of the doors, which were slightly leaking at the bottom.

"Are… are these the colonists?" Mary gasped.

"Who else would it be?" wondered Sam.

"Mary, you and Lillian go scout ahead and find us a way in," Rafe ordered.

"Can't you do anything yourself? What's up with you pretty boys and not wanting to get your hands dirty?" Lily snapped.

"Remember who's in charge here, girl!" he shouted. "Now get that gate open! Now!"

"Jeez, touchy much?" she muttered under her breath.

Mary analyzed the door as her and Lily carefully approached it, their boots forming prints in the soggy mud.

"Hmm… perhaps we could pick the lock?" Mary suggested.

"Or I can punch it open," Lily commented.

"… good point."

Much like she did with the tree, Lily slammed her fist into the lock positioned toward the middle of the gate, breaking the doors from their hinges. A small flood of water came rushing from the gap, hurriedly washing around their legs. The rest of the group walked up behind them, a few of the guards looking nervous from Lily's show of strength.

Mountainous mansions ran alongside the flooded rocky corridor revealed from behind the gates. Moss and mold ran up the stone buildings' sides as vines consumed the walls and roofs. Rocks had tumbled into the spaces between the buildings, splitting the steady flow of the shimmering blue water reflecting the clear, sunny sky. Glass had long been missing from most of the windows, and the average balcony no longer had a complete stone railing. Waterfalls could be heard rushing in the distance where a colossal estate could be seen towering above the rest of the city, veiled in a thick layer of mist.

Despite New Devon's dilapidated beauty, Lily was unphased by its majesty.

"It looks like the colonists flooded the place. I never would've expected something like this!" Mary gasped.

"I wish Dad was here to see it," Lily sighed solemnly.

Mary placed a silent, comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm… sorry I didn't tell you about Sam. Honestly, I had no idea he'd lied to you. I was tired of Rafe, and you guys were obviously making so much more progress, and I found out you're… you… so it felt right being with your group instead," she explained.

"I'm sorry too, I didn't mean to snap at you. I was so angry at Sam, I lashed out. I know you only had good intentions," Lily responded.

They looked at each other smiling, both women misty-eyed.

"Hey, eyes front. This isn't a TV drama," barked Rafe, who was walking a few steps behind them.

Lily shot an annoyed glance at him before looking forward to analyze the area for a possible route; however, most passages had been blocked by rocks or consumed by impassable water.

"Gee, I wonder who that huge mansion belongs to?" Mary asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, and guess which is the only one that isn't flooded?" Sam smiled. "Classic Avery," he chuckled.

"Looks like we can use the roofs to get over most of the obstacles on the way there," Mary added.

"I'm afraid our fearless pretty boy will have to make an effort for once," Lily teased.

The two giggled as they waded through the water.

"At least he's not as bad as Harry Flynn, a chump my dad used to work with but double-crossed for Lazarević. He'd wave his gun around like he owned the place but ended up being all talk, until he blew himself up with a grenade, that is," Lily explained.

"What a piece of work," Mary observed.

"He really was," Lily nodded.

"Hey, I can hear you two up there," Rafe called from behind them, his voice barely audible over the rushing water.

"Good!" Mary called back. Rafe furled his brow as he struggled to contain his anger.

As soon as they found a foothold, they climbed onto the slippery connected roofs of the city. Lily noticed the soldiers struggling to keep their rifles trained on them while traversing the platforms. After a long, soggy trek, they finally arrived in front of Avery's mansion.

Lily scanned the exterior of the mansion. Glass shards and debris sprinkled the ground, sparkling in the sunshine. Bullet holes dotted the walls of the structure, mold forming around the interior. While analyzing the area, she noticed a small hole leading to a kitchen, which she figured was just one of many. Pots and pans were still hung from the ceiling, rust consuming their entirety. Bones of the room's last meal laid silent on the porcelain plates sat around the table. Green-tinted water dripped from the ceiling in the corner.

"Hey guys, I think I found a way in!" Lily called to them, running down a short hill toward a small opening in a lower level of the dwelling.

Mary followed, trailing closely behind Lily as they stepped over rubble and boulders.

"You two go with them and make sure they don't get up to any funny business," Rafe ordered the two closest soldiers. They followed Sam who joined Lily and Mary shortly after, his eyes beaming with excitement.

"Huh, I expected the kitchen to be a bit… bigger," he commented as he ducked through the meager opening, a slight tone of disappointment in his voice.

Lily smirked at Sam momentarily.

"I'm sure there are several others; this was probably for the people working here," Mary suggested. "I'll go get Rafe," she offered as she ran off, leaving Sam and Lily alone.

"So… big place, huh?" Sam stated, glancing around the kitchen in an attempt to avoid looking directly at Lily.

"Yeah…" she responded.

"Still mad at me?" he asked shyly.

"Yep," she stated quietly. "I'm gonna go rejoin the group."

She hastily exited the room, walking up the hill and out of sight.

"Move it, the boss is calling us back anyway," one of the soldiers barked at Sam.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'," he groaned.

Arriving back at the group, Rafe turned to the soldiers, ordering, "Three of you circle the perimeter and investigate any openings you find. I don't want any surprises."

"Yes, sir," they responded in unison before dashing inside.

"What surprises do you expect, Rafe?" Nadine questioned. "We've got these three locked down, and Nathan was shot before falling off a cliff- I'm fairly sure I heard him hit his head on the way down, so he's obviously out of the picture."

Nadine's words stabbed at Lily's side like a knife, a reaffirmation of her father's demise.

"I've seen one Drake come back from the dead, so I'm not putting it outside the realm of possibility for it to happen again."

Rafe stormed ahead as they entered the mansion through the kitchen Lily had discovered.

"Small kitchen," Rafe commented as they passed through. Walking up a small flight of stairs, they found a library packed with books and intricate golden decorations which still shone in the sunlight, despite centuries of remaining stationary. A table in the middle of the room was covered in dusty paperwork on which was scribbled notes detailing the Sword of Triton.

"Well, hello there," Rafe smirked as he gently picked up the top piece of parchment.

"My men have no inkling of what awaits them. Everyone- aside from Tew- believes we are to meet here to settle our differences and come together as comrades once more. However… this will never be the case, as only one can wield Triton's Blade. It is hidden deep within my ship's hold, far from the prying eyes of anyone on this God-forsaken island. Merely a few more hours and I will set sail from this cursed place, ordained by Triton himself as ruler of the high seas!"

Henry Avery

"It's here… we're close," he spoke to Nadine.

"'It,' Rafe? You mean the treasure?"

"Not just the treasure, Nadine, the Sword of Triton! The whole reason we came to this damn rock in the first place!"

Nadine drew a breath to retaliate, but she was cut short by a bullet's harangue slicing the air.

"See? Surprises," Rafe quipped to Nadine.

"Shut it," she retorted as they dove into cover behind a stone support beam, pistols drawn.

Lily's eyes widened when she spotted Nate peering over debris, trying to find a moment to fire. The emptiness clutching her heart immediately fled as they momentarily locked eyes.

"Dad!" Lily shrieked. A soldier approached her and grabbed the collar of her shirt, shoving her back to Sam and Mary.

"If you move a single inch, I'll kill them both," the soldier barked.

Lily turned to Mary as her eyes grew misty.

"It's him! Dad's alive!"

Before she could respond, a soldier ran out from the kitchen.

"Sir, Ma'am, we've found another entrance!" he shouted over the gunfire.

"Good, let's head in through there!" Rafe responded loudly. "Nadine, let's go! Just let your men handle this!"

The two retreated to the group as they turned back and exited through the kitchen.

"This way," the soldier said as he lead them around to the other side of the building. Entering through a hole only a few feet in diameter, they found themselves in a hall which seemed to stretch infinitely in either direction. Despite some moss and puddles, the marble floor still shimmered in the sunlight pouring in through the windows at both ends of the room. Every few feet or so sat stands topped by a china vase, each containing nothing but dirt, as whatever had inhabited them died long ago, not even leaving behind withered leaves.

Lily spotted a set of double doors halfway down the corridor. The left door hung open, leaking an amber light from the room beyond.

"Let's try over there," she suggested, motioning toward the chamber.

"Listen here brat, I'm the one in charge of this searc-" Rafe began. Sam quickly cut him off, reaching out his down-facing hand, saying "Rafe, we've gotta start somewhere, right?"

Rafe sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, let's go," he complained.

Slowly entering, Lily was met by a grand dining table filled with the remains of uneaten food, plates, and dining utensils. The perimeter was lined by chairs filled with skeletons still dressed in elaborate, colorful garments like those a pirate would wear. Every seat was occupied, except for the two on the rear left corner. In front of the corpses sat a small piece of dust-covered parchment bearing Avery's and Tew's sigils.

"Holy shit…" Sam muttered.

"Well, Sam, here are the pirate captains you've been searching so long for," Rafe commented.

"What happened here?" Mary questioned.

Lily walked over to the nearest seat and picked up a card, blowing the thick layer of dust from its surface as she began reading.

"'On behalf of Lord Avery, I invite you to my manor at sundown tomorrow. The time has come to abandon our animosities… and reunite under the banner of God and liberty,' signed Thomas Tew."

"So, what do you think… poisoned drinks?" asked Mary, lifting a long-empty goblet which had laid topped over in front of a skeleton's bony hand.

"Most likely," Nadine agreed. "I recognize these coats, too, and guess which two aren't here?" she continued, motioning to the empty chairs.

"Avery and Tew," Sam added. "Makes sense. They had already dealt with the colonists, but they still had each other to deal with. This was the quickest way of doing it, I suppose."

Rafe walked closer to the table, glancing at everyone else.

"Hey, uh… I love staring at dead pirates as much as the next guy, but we've got a treasure to find, remember?" he urged.

"Rafe's right," Nadine followed. "We're not the only ones looking for it; let's keep moving."

In the next room was a library, the walls still filled with books. The ceiling stretched high above their heads, as the smell of old parchment tickled their noses. In the left corner sat a weary harpsichord under the shining windows, which Lily found to be out of tune the moment she touched one of the keys. On the opposite side stood a wooden spiral staircase leading to a balcony at the top of the room. In the middle of the area rested a finely detailed globe resting on shimmering gold legs.

"Well, now what?" Rafe chirped.

Mary leaned her hand on the globe as she glanced about the room for clues on where to go next. Suddenly the continent under her palm sunk into the sphere, initiating a loud clanking noise which shook the room. A beautiful marble staircase appeared around them which twisted into a murky, dark descent. Rafe picked a torch from the wall and ventured into the tunnel.

"Come on, we haven't got all day," he groaned, igniting the light as he descended the stairs.

"Move it!" shouted a soldier, shoving Sam closer to the center of the group. Unnoticed by everyone else, he snuck his lighter from his pocket, dropping it on the floor by the globe. With the light from the room above fading, Lily set alight a blue flame within her palm.

"Does it hurt?" Mary inquired, glancing at the flame.

"Not really. It's warm, kinda like a tiny hug," she smiled.

"Must be nice," Mary replied.


	10. The Dark Descent

A foul stench choked the air as they traversed the tunnel. A light breeze passed through and a faint clanging sound could be heard as if someone decorated the cave with bamboo wind chimes. The blue light bounced off the walls, illuminating boney hands dangling from aged rope. Despite being revolted by the gruesome sight, Lily couldn't help but stare at Avery's victims in astonishment.

"From the hands that stole from me," Mary quivered as she read a sign nailed to the wall.

"I don't think Avery was one for interior decorating," Sam commented.

"I dunno, it really livens up this place," Lily joked. "Although I don't think he's pretending to be sane anymore."

Continuing passed the skeletal display, they came across a fairly large room floored by wooden planks which formed squares on the ground. Each square contained four smaller squares centered by a wooden block inscribed by either Avery's sigil, a ship, or three crosses.

"Another test?" Lily pondered.

"No, this is different. You saw the room with the bones; this was meant for his enemies, if anyone followed him," Sam shuttered.

"So I'm guessing that would include us too?" Rafe assumed.

"You got that right. Now, the question is, how do we get across?" Sam thought aloud.

"We don't have all day, Drake's catching up to us," Nadine urged.

"Alright Lillian, you're the unkillable one, you figure it out," Rafe ordered.

"… and if I don't?" Lily challenged.

Rafe aimed his pistol at Sam and Mary.

"A bullet in each of their skulls."

Lily leaned close to Sam cautiously.

"Once I make it across, mark the right ones for Dad," she whispered for only Sam to hear.

"You got it, be careful."

"Get a move on," Rafe insisted.

Lily stuck her tongue at Rafe before walking to the edge of the wood floor.

She took a slow, deep breath as she cleared her mind. She tucked her chin between her right index finger and thumb as she analyzed the area for clues as to what was the proper path across.

"Ah, that should work!" she exclaimed.

Raising her fist into the air in front of her, she gathered flames in her closed palm before flicking her fingers toward the space before her, spreading tiny blue embers to each space. The instant the flames touched the ground, a deafening explosion echoed through the cave as blasts of flame erupted from the floor.

"Holy shit, what are you trying to do, bring the whole cave down?!" Rafe caughed, waving his hand before his face in a futile attempt to clear the air.

"Just hold on a sec," she grinned.

As the dust settled, the dramatically changed landscape before them revealed itself. A slim row of wood panels remained intact while all the rest had collapsed into the spike-filled pit below.

"I _knew _that would work!" Lily cheered as she took an energetic step forward onto the platform in front of her. Suddenly she heard a click; the joy draining from her now-pale face, she shot a fearful glance back at Sam and Mary as flames engulfed her while gravity tugged her down into the pit, her descent suddenly being stopped by a massive spike tearing through her abdomen. All she could see was darkness due to landing face-first. She immediately coughed up blood as she tried prying herself from the rocky trap, her hands slipping on the spike ensnaring her. She tried screaming for help, but she couldn't inhale due to the perforations in her lungs. Weakly, she lifted her head backwards. An increasingly blurry vision of Sam and Mary calling into the pit filled her eyes as her head went limp.

Sam walked to the pit and knelt on one knee.

"Lily! Lily, wake up! Please! Come on, you've survived worse than this! You walked away from a burning house crushing you without a scratch for God's sake, so please, just… get up!" he screamed into the abyss. A tearful Mary approached him and placed her hand gently on his right shoulder.

"I… don't think she's getting out of this one," she muttered.

"Dammit!" he shouted, a tear dripping from his right eye.

Suddenly, a torrent of black and azure flames sprouted from her laceration, enveloping her entire body which limply started hovering above the spike, rising toward safety. The flames lifted her from the pit, carrying her over Sam and Mary before gently descending down to the dirt. The flames dispersed, leaving her wound as a moist, barely-healed scar.

Sam and Mary rushed to kneel at her side. Sam lowered his ear to her mouth; he could barely hear her sharp uneven breaths.

"Lil? Lily, can you hear me?" he spoke gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hot tears stung Mary's eyes as Lily gave no response.

"Lily, come on, we can't lose you! Nathan's always worrying about you, do you want to prove him right?!" Sam begged, hoping a joke would help her stir.

"Lily…" Mary choked as she lifted Lily's hand.

Without warning, Lily released an acute gasp as her eyes flung open and she shot upright. She squeezed Mary's hand and held onto Sam's arm as she gathered her surroundings. Sam and Mary embraced Lily tightly.

"Oh Lily, Thank God you're okay!" Mary cried.

"Ow, careful, that hurts!" she shouted, wincing at the sudden envelopment. "W-what happened?" she respired.

"You got caught in an explosion set off by one of the traps and-" Sam panned to the stain. "You fell on a spike."

"Ugh, I guess I missed one of the boards…" Lily said as she glanced down at her torso.

"Damn, this was my favorite shirt!" Lily cursed.

"Thank goodness for those powers, huh?" Mary smiled.

"Yeah… that hurt like a bitch, though," Lily sighed as she analyzed the wound, clearly visible through her ruined shirt.

"Okay, reunion time's over, get up and keep moving. You _can_ stand, right?" Rafe barked, clearly becoming impatient.

"Y-yeah," Lily replied, balancing herself on Sam's shoulder as she slowly stood up.

"Good. Come on, we've got time to make up because of you," he grumbled.

Lily let out an irritated sigh as they tiptoed across the small path of the remaining platforms and continued through an opening on the other side. The musty air made it difficult to breath as they traversed the ever-shrinking tunnels which eventually unfurled into another opening. Loosely-mummified corpses lined the walls. Countless ribcages hung from the ceiling of the small room, placed just above a sign nailed to the adjacent wall which split into two separate tunnels on either side.

"Come on, Avery. You're starting to get a bit cliché on us!" Sam laughed as he walked up to the sign on the wall. "The hearts that… hardened against me," Sam read, squinting at the dimly-lit text.

As they analyzed the room, Lily, and Mary wandered to the mummy closest to them.

Suddenly, a loud snap echoed through the dungeon as a soldier stepped on a tripwire. A hissing spark appeared on each mummy surrounding the room, the embers rapidly moving toward the mummies' heads.

"Move!" Rafe shouted, diving into the left tunnel. The walls shook as the mummies burst into flames, shattering the stones they were mounted on.

Lily and Mary dove into the right tunnel, while Sam dove toward where the rest of them escaped. Loose rocks fell from the ceiling as they landed, blocking their way back.

"Lily, Mary, you guys okay in there?!" Sam shouted from the other side.

"A bit dirty, but no further injuries here!" Mary responded.

"Good. Hey Lily, listen, I'm uh… I'm sorry. Ya know, for lying to you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I'm not sure if I'll ever see you again, so… I'm sorry.

Lily rose to her feet, staring blankly at the rocks, unsure of how to respond.

"… you there?" chimed Sam.

"… yeah. I don't accept your apology. You can apologize to me next time we're face-to-face. No backing out of this one, Cool Uncle, you got that?" she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Sam laughed.

"Sam, you coming?" they heard Rafe snarl from the other side. "Where're the girls?"

"I… think they got crushed by these rocks," Sam said sadly.

"Shit. That's two less idiots to look after I guess. Let's go, I'm sure Nate's not far behind us."

"Yeah, yeah…" Sam replied, walking from the collapsed tunnel.

"So, it's… just us now, huh?" asked Mary.

"Looks like it," responded Lily as she ignited a small fireball within her palm.

"Think you'll forgive him?"

Lily sighed, saying "I'm having a hard time believing he's truly sorry for what he did, but… Dad's alive, and that's what matters right now, so if he does, I will."

"I'm sure he will, in time. C'mon, let's keep heading through this tunnel. Perhaps we'll get out before Rafe?"  
"I hope so."

With a dim flame resting on Lily's hand, they navigated through the labyrinth preparing themselves for any traps Avery left behind. Lily's injuries hobbled her slightly, forcing her to hold onto Mary's shoulder for balance. The tunnel seemed to stretch for miles as they repeatedly ran into dead ends. Mary let out a hopeless sigh as she stared into the inky blackness.

"You alright?" Lily questioned.

"It just seems like we'll never get outta here," she replied.

"I'm sure we will."

"How can you be so optimistic?"

"Dad and I have explored dozens of caves just like this. We got stuck a few times but always found a way out."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Sometimes I was, but Dad always had us play word games while walking along, stuff like trivia and riddles. They always helped pass the time."

"Sounds fun, although I think I'd prefer we get outta here before having resort to that," Mary laughed.

The two walked in silence until Lily spoke again.

"Say Mary, do you have any plans once we're done on this island?"

"I was hoping to finally settle down," Mary nodded. "I've been at this for too long. I'd like to take stock of everything I've earned and just… rest. Buy a house, maybe get a part-time job, something simple. I'm tired of getting shot at and these things never seem to take place in an area with a nice climate; I'm always either melting or freezing my ass off," she chuckled.

Lily took a breath but hesitated to speak.

"I'd… love to have you in my life once this is done," Lily offered.

"What about Nate and Elena?"

"They're the ones who raised me; they're my parents, and that won't change… but that doesn't mean we have to act like strangers, right?" she smiled.

"I'd like that very much, Lily. Thank you," Mary respired, her eyes misty from fighting back tears.

Warmth enveloped Lily and the darkness surrounding them didn't bother her anymore. They advanced down the corridor until they came across a natural wall created by large boulders. Lily analyzed the area, only to find no other paths branching out into the labyrinth.

"Another dead end," Mary sighed.

Lily placed a trembling hand on the wall as she examined it, scrambling for a solution.

"I can feel a warm breeze coming through the cracks… I can break through this," Lily concluded.

A look of concern masked Mary's face.

"But you're barely healed from the fall. You should take it easy for a while, we'll find another way."

"The wall's already weak, I'll be fine," Lily assured.

"Lily, this isn't worth hurting yourself," Mary reprimanded.

"I have to get back to my family, Mary. There's no other way, we have to break through!" Lily snapped.

Facing her palms forward, she grew the fireball being used to light the cave. Dancing shadows shrunk under the increasing light of the flame. With a gentle exhale, the ball flew from her hands, shattering the boulders, flooding the cave with a warm, dazzling light. As their eyes adjusted, they were greeted by a vista of a small bay. The beach on the left was filled with scuttled pirate ships, their grandeur slowly being eroded by the water which stretched out to the horizon which was now being tickled by the golden afternoon sun. Rafe and Nadine could be seen making their way through the ships, Sam sandwiched between them and the marching soldiers.

Suddenly, the sound of a loud explosion erupted behind them at the same time a giant cloud of dust and debris flew from another exit from the caves to their lower left. As the dust began settling, Nate and Elena could be seen retreating from the caverns.

"M-mom?" Lily gasped at the sight of Elena. "Mary, we've gotta get down to them! Here, I'll hold your rope in place while you climb down to that ship directly below us, then I'll hop down as soon as you're safe," she suggested, kneeling near the edge.

"You sure? You just destroyed that rock-"

"I'll be fine, now let's get down there!"

Mary hitched her grapple in a crack in the ground and rappelled down to a half-sunken ship. As soon as she was safely grounded, Lily unhooked the grapple and excitedly jumped down to Mary. Handing it to her, she wordlessly sprinted toward Nate and Elena who were a few platforms down. Leaping into the air, she descended towards them, screaming "DAAAAAD!" Nate looked up, shocked by his daughter's sudden appearance.

"Mom, Dad!" she cried as she landed in front of them, pulling them into a tight hug. The sting of her injuries began to subside.

"Lily! I'm so glad you're okay," Nate respired.

"I'm so sorry I didn't catch you. If I didn't use my power so much, I could've used them to save you!" she wept.

"You have nothing to apologize for, you did your best," he assured.

Seconds after they released each other, Elena's gaze panned down to Lily's wound, her eyes widening.

"What… is _that_?" she convulsed, pointing to Lily's wound.

"I, uh… fell on a spike?"

"Well, knowing you, I would never put that out of the realm of possibilities. How bad does it hurt?"

"It stings a bit, but I'll be fine. I used up a lot of power getting myself outta there, so I'll be sticking to regular weapons for now."

"As long as you're alright, that's fine by me," Nate smiled.

"So… it seems you two are on speaking terms again?" Lily questioned.

"Speaking terms, yes. Made up for, no. This guy's gonna be doing the dishes for the next month," Elena laughed, pointing her thumb toward Nate.

"I hate doing the dishes…" he muttered.

Mary watched the family reunion from afar, a pang of jealousy knotting her stomach as she quietly made her way down to the rest of the group. Elena was the first one to notice her approaching.

"Oh… hi, um… what was your name again?" she questioned.

"Mary. I'm Lily's birth mother."

"Nice to meet you; I'm Elena, Nate's wife and her adoptive mother. I apologize for earlier, I'm not normally like that," she chuckled.

"I understand. My late husband did stupid stuff that drove me crazy too," Mary smiled.

"Glad you're okay, Mary. Now, if I may suggest, we should keep moving. We still need to rescue Sam," Nate interjected.

Just as he finished his sentence, an explosion tore a hole in a ship several yards away. On the stable section, Sam could be seen crouching behind a small vertical wall of planks, pistol in hand. Shoreline soldiers began fiercely attacking him as bullets peppered his cover.

"Oh shit, we need to move, now!" shouted Nate as he rushed toward his brother with the others following shortly behind.

"You're sure you can handle this?" Mary asked Lily.

"No other choice, right?" Lily responded. "I'm feeling a lot better, anyway," she added, giving a toothy grin.

Side by side, they rushed toward their foes, weapons drawn. Still weak but wanting to test her strength, Lily gathered flame into her right hand and whipped it sideways, sending a roaring wave toward the soldiers and wiping them out. A spike of pain clutched her side, forcing her to crouch behind a gathering of rocks as the pain subsided.

_Not quite yet…_ she thought, analyzing the landscape. Shoreline was closing in on them, and Sam was quickly losing cover as bullets chewed away at the rotted wood. Lily then noticed a rifle lying on the ground a few feet away from her. She noticed Nate behind cover, glancing at her as if to make she were alright. She pointed at Sam and gave an expression that said "_Get to him!_"

He nodded and rushed toward Sam as soon as possible, garnering Shoreline's attention. Lily took this opportunity to leave her cover to obtain the rifle. As she bent down to grab it, she glimpsed up and saw a lone soldier taking aim at her. Just as his rifle became trained on her, blood spurted from his torso as he flew backwards. Looking behind her, she saw Elena reloading her pistol, giving her a quick smile with a wink.

Grinning, Lily pulled out the magazine and put her hand above it, ushering a warm, flickering mist into it. Slamming it back into her weapon, she climbed on top of the rock and began firing down upon their oppressors. Black and blue flames exploded from every target she struck, instantly eradicating them. As soon as the beach was clear, she ran to where everyone met Sam, who had climbed a small ladder to the top of the ship which reached a small carving in the cliffside it rested against.

"Nice to see ya, Little Niece," he smiled. "Hate to say it, but there's more up ahead. Feeling strong?"

"You know it," Lily smirked, clutching her right fist in front of her.

The stomps of the soldiers boots in the sand began growing louder. They quickly clambered up the ledge and crept along the mossy path, checking their magazines to take stock of the ammo they had remaining. Just after hopping down onto yet another ship, a bullet suddenly cracked by Sam's shoulder, splattering blood on the splintered planks under their feet. His face crunched with pain as he dove behind the nearest cover he could find. Clutching his arm, he carefully examined the wound before tearing off a piece of his shirt and wrapping it around his bleeding muscle.

Lily stared blankly at the bodily fluid strewn across the wood before turning her gaze toward the soldiers on the beach.

"That's enough," she growled, black and blue flames seeping from every pore. She leapt from the ship with enough force to split it in half, separating Nate from the rest of the party as the section he was on tilted its end to the sky, forcing him to slide into the water.. Leaving the sinking craft behind, she soared through the air until hovering several hundred feet above the mercenaries.

"Leave my family alone," she spoke in a hushed, angry tone. Stretching her arms toward the ground, she splayed her smoking fingers and unleashed a torrent of flame as dark as midnight, scorching the beach below.

Slowly, the fire dispersed, revealing the scorched rock of the beach. Covering it was a gently glowing sea of glass, frozen as if imitating an icy, transparent sea. Not a trace of Shoreline remained.

Sam, Mary, and Elena stood staring at the glassy sea, speechless. The spell holding them in a state of awe was abruptly broken by the sound of rocket explosions cracking over the sound of a machine gun firing from the east, where Nate had disappeared to.

The flames surrounding Lily flickered in the wind as she shifted herself toward the source of the blast. Quickly rising over the small collection of hills separating the two sections of beach, she found Nate on the far side of the shoreline, retreating from a jet black, turret-mounted truck constantly spraying bullets as it bit at his heels.

"What is it with you guys and these trucks?!" he shouted as he sprinted through the outskirts of another small town. In an attempt to get away, he began climbing a tall brick tower; the gun stopped as the driver assessed the situation. Suddenly, it backed up before slamming into the base of the tower. Over and over and crashed into the support before it started crumbling to the ground.

Before it collapsed, Nate clambered to the top of it and leapt to the roof of a nearby building, crashing through its moldy shingles. Catching his breath, he slowly made his way from the structure as the truck attempted to restart its engine, which had shut down from the repeated impacts. Just as he crawled through the front window, the vehicle roared to life and began chewing through the meager wood house.

"Oh, shit!" Nate exclaimed exhaustively as he continued fleeing from his pursuer, however he found himself running toward a dead end formed from nothing but slippery, mossy rocks.

Lily forced herself to fly faster, realizing her father was nearly out of time. Seconds before the truck reached Nate, she descended into the space between him and the assault vehicle. Outstretching her arm, she flicked a single finger toward her target, shooting a dart of scorching air through the truck's heavy metal body, gutting it. Despite the damage, it continued rolling toward them. Squarely planting her feet on the ground, she buried her fist into the truck's grille, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Well, that was close!" a familiar, gravelly voice could be heard calling over the steam rushing from the destroyed engine. Lily and Nate looked to the ledge at the top of the rocks to their left. Standing atop them was Sully, holding an RPG.

"Good to see ya," Sully smiled as he greeted Nate and Lily. He reached down a hand and helped Nate up as Lily effortlessly hopped up to join them.

"What's the rocket launcher for, Sully?" Nate joked.

"I was gonna use it to save your ass, but I see Little Miss Fireball's got that covered," he chuckled, motioning to Lily.

"Glad to see ya, Gramps," Lily spoke. "How'd you find us?"

"You forget, I'm just about as good as Nate at this. He left a boatload of information in that hotel room; once I got here, all I had to do was follow the gunfire. Say, where's Elena?"

"We got separated from her, along with Sam and Mary. We need to go find them before Shoreline does," Nate directed.

They were about to head into the village when they spotted Elena sprinting towards them, with Sam and Mary following suit.

"Hey!" Elena called as she approached them.

"Speak of the devil, there they are!" Nate smiled.

"Mom!" Lily cried as she embraced her.

"You two okay?" Elena inquired.

"Yeah," Nate nodded.

"Never better," Lily added.

"We heard those explosions and-" Elena began.

"Yeah, it's all this girl," Nate chuckled, gesturing to Lily.

"You saved his ass again?" joked Elena.

"Naturally. How are you doing? I did quite a number on that ship… sorry about that, by the way," Lily shrugged.

"Good, good. There were some close calls, but Sam and Mary covered me," Elena smiled as she glanced back at the pair.

Sam lifted his hand an nodded in thanks.

"Glad to see you guys made it through that alright," Lily grinned.

Nate approached Lily, Mary and Sam; he and his brother gave silent exchanges.

"Hey," the brothers said in unison.

"How's that?" Nate asked, motioning to the bloody rag wrapped around Sam's right upper arm.

"Bullet, grazed my shoulder. And that?" questioned Sam as he pointed to the scar on Nate's forehead.

"Cliffside, grazed my face," Nate shrugged.

Lily couldn't help but smile at Nate's humor.

"So… how did you lose Rafe?" asked Nate.

"I led his crew right into Avery's traps," Sam chuckled.

Silence fell between them.

"Hey, guys… about the whole Alcazar thing…" Sam began.

"Save that for later, okay?" Nate assured as he patted Sam's shoulder.

Nate turned to Sully, "Which way's the plane?"

"On the beach, the other side of this town," Sully informed.

"Alright, let's get going," Nate urged, leading Lily, Elena and Sully, heading towards the village.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Sam called to them. Everyone returned to Sam and gathered around him.

"What do you think we're doing? We're getting the hell off this rock," Sully replied.

"Right… we could do that, or we can head in that direction, which is a short cut," Sam insisted, pointing south.

"A shortcut to what, exactly?" asked Sully.

"To Avery's treasure!" Sam replied excitedly.

"Oh, wow," Sully scoffed, placing his hand on his cheek as he turned from Sam.

"I mean, Rafe's got to go all the way around but we could just-" Sam explained.

"Screw Rafe!" Sully huffed.

"Victor, with all due respect maybe just-" Sam snapped.

"You just don't know when to quit," Sully sighed, shaking his head.

"Look, we're all here for the same reason, right?" asked Sam. He glanced at the group and finished at Mary, who pressed her lips together.

"We didn't come after the treasure, we came after you," Elena reminded him.

"… and I appreciate that, okay? I really do. But… we're good! And we've got the lead, for now. We can do this, Nathan, Lily… Mary… c'mon, huh? Look around; Avery scuttled every last ship on this island, you know why?"

"Because he was hell-bent on keeping his treasure…" Elena sighed.

"Exactly!" Sam nodded.

"No matter the cost of those around him," she added sternly.

"He didn't want anyone to follow him because he was leaving! Look at this, okay?" requested Sam as he retrieved a map from his back pocket. Nate unfolded the map and observed its contents.

"I found Avery's map of the island. That's _his_ ship under that mountain. That's where our treasure is."

While Lily watched Sam, a familiar feeling of obsession radiated off of him. Her past self reflected in Sam's eyes as he tried to persuade Nate. Mary took the map from Nate and studied the crude sketch of the island. Lily peered over her arm to find a drawing of Avery's ship under the strange, almost shark-shaped mountain peak.

"… and that's exactly where Rafe is heading now while we stand here arguing like idiots. Mary… help me out here," Sam persisted.

Mary stayed silent, staring at the ground as she tried not to make eye contact with Sam.

"Okay, what if he's already left the island and his ship sunk somewhere out in the middle of the ocean?" Sully inquired.

"Then we find out where it got sunk!" Sam urged.

A guilty expression covered Lily's face as she glanced at Elena.

Sam turned to Nate and Mary, and leaned in, whispering, "How long have we been chasing this thing, huh? No offense to these guys… but they don't get it."

"Then neither do I, I suppose," she replied as she handed Avery's map back to Sam.

Lily noticed a powerful sadness strike across Nate's eyes as he faced his brother.

"Actually Sam, they do. They really do. They've seen this kind of… obsession before," Nate interjected. Sam released an irritated sigh.

"We're not those kids anymore, Sam. We're not. We got nothing to prove…" Nate said sternly.

"Victor? Where's that plane?" Sam questioned as he tried to mask his anger.

"Right this way," Sully instructed as he started towards the village.


	11. Battle Aboard the Fancy

A certain sadness had struck across Nate's visage. Lily and Elena turned to Nate, exchanging melancholy smiles. A grassy path lead them to a seaside village, accompanied by a dock which stretched out into the ocean. Centuries untouched by humans, patches of vegetation could be seen shooting up through the cobblestone street and wooden planks.

Mary trudged behind Lily and Elena who walked side by side, engaged in conversation. She'd watch as a warm smile spread across Lily's face as she listened to Elena with admiration. Mary fought back the enveloping loneliness as she observed their reunion.

They were nearing the edge of the village when Lily winced loudly and laid her hand gently on her stomach.

"Lil, what's wrong?" Elena quivered as she placed a gentle hand on Lily's shoulder.

"I… I need to sit down," Lily respired as she slumped onto a nearby boulder.

Lily lifted her shirt to reveal pink scars with traces of blood trickling down, stretching across her torso.

"Damn… this is taking longer to heal than I expected," Lily cursed as she analyzed the wound. She glanced up at Elena as pain struck across her eyes. "Don't tell Dad…"

"Lil, Nate needs to know," Elena insisted.

"No, he has enough on his plate. I'll be fine, Mom. I just need to rest," Lily assured but her expression said otherwise. "I just overdid it a bit, that's all."

"You turned a beach to glass; yeah, I'd call that overdoing it," Elena joked, loosening the tension in the air.

The three exchanged a moment of silence before Nate called from inside one of the shops.

"Hey, Lily, check this out!"

"Coming, Dad!" Lily replied.

She passed a tired smile to Elena and Mary as she ran off to find Nate.

"I swear, that girl is the most stubborn person I've ever met," Elena sighed.

"I think she got that from me, sorry," Mary teased.

Their laughter lightened the tensity between them.

"I want to thank you for looking after Lily. I should've went back for her, I know… but I was afraid I wouldn't be a good mother to her," said Mary.

Elena turned to Mary.

"You betrayed Rafe to be with us; you've been helping fight against an _army_ just so you could be with your daughter! I don't know about you, but that's not my definition of a bad mother," Elena smiled.

"Thanks, Elena," Mary said, grinning from ear to ear as tears welled in her eyes. The two shared a hug, cut short by the gaggle of Nate and Lily speaking in a nearby building, which seemed to be the remains of a quaint shop.

They followed the sounds, eventually finding them admiring artifacts. The pain on Lily's face was temporarily replaced by excitement as they studied a beautifully crafted vase, which was white with intricate blue vines painted on it.

"Mom, look at this!" exclaimed Lily, showing her the item.

"Wow, that's beautiful! Too bad we've still got some climbing ahead of us, otherwise I'd bring it along," she smiled.

Sully waltzed into the shop and called to Mary.

"Mary, come check this out!" he beckoned.

She walked over to that side of the shop, examining the area for more artifacts, however she didn't find anything of particular interest.

"So what do you have to show me? I don't see anything," she informed.

"I don't have anything, I just needed you alone for a sec," he said. Clearing his throat, he continued, "I wanted to ask, would you like to go to dinner or somethin' once we get back to the States?"

She was slightly taken aback by the sudden question but quickly composed herself.

"Y-yes… yes, I would like that," she nervously smirked.

"I look forward to it," Sully grinned, the corners of his bushy mustache fanning out along the crease of his smile.

After they finished looking around the store, they decided to continue through the town. Eventually they came across a ravine which stretched through the entire area. Connecting the two sides was a wooden lift hanging from a metal bar with wheels on it, which wouldn't budge no matter how hard they stepped on it.

While Nate and Sully analyzed the lift, Lily approached Sam who was sitting on the ledge, staring blankly ahead at the sunset hovering above the horizon.

"How you holding up, Sam?" she asked, crouching next to him.

He sighed. "It sucks, ya know? I've waited so long for this, and we're so close… I understand it's not safe, but look what we've already gotten through! I doubt Avery had much else to throw at whoever made it this far, but… whatever…"

"I know it sucks, but you have to know when to stop. This treasure isn't worth dying over," Lily said sternly. Sam fell silent.

"Years ago, Dad and I were obsessed with finding Ubar. We were so involved that we never stopped to ask ourselves if it was worth losing our family over, and we almost paid the price. He just… didn't want to see you lose yourself to this treasure Sam, he knows what it's like," Lily explained as she placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"Hey Sam, could you give me a hand with this? I can use it to get to that platform over there," Nate interrupted, motioning to the ground far on the other side as he leaned on a long wooden beam lying on the ground with a block of wood sticking out vertically.

"Sure, just a sec," Sam responded, getting up and aiding his brother in pushing the long plank. Sam and Sully weighed down one end while Nate jumped from the other, landing hard on the other side. Giving the area a short analysis from his new angle, he tossed his grapple to the metal rod hooked across the bottom of the wood platform.

"Okay, everyone hop on!" Nate instructed. Once they'd boarded, he gave the rope a strong tug, bringing the platform into motion. It eventually hit an angled section of the beam, enabling it to easily glide to the other side. All but Sam had jumped to safety, as he laid on the platform and reached his hand out to Nate.

"Here, Little Brother, hop up!" he beckoned.

Nate climbed the rope to the bottom of the platform, inching his way to Sam's hand. Just as he reached for it, one of the supports holding the transport up split, forcing it to sway from its final hinge. Nate used the momentum to jump to safety. Sam held on as the bar snapped, swinging him back to the other side, forcing him to jump to the ledge to avoid plummeting into the pit.

"Come on, Sam, jump! I'll catch you!" Nate encouraged as he outstretched his hand. Sam stepped back and glanced at the mountain behind him. The group was met an apologetic expression as he faced them.

"I'm sorry I got you all mixed up in this."

"Sam, don't even think about it!" Lily barked.

"Listen, if you run off I'm not coming after you!" Nate threatened.

"I'm sorry," Sam respired as he sprinted into the jungle.

"Sam!" Lily cried.

"Dammit, Sam!" Nate cursed.

"He called your bluff, Nate," said Sully.

"He's going to get himself killed," Elena sighed irritably.

Mary sprinted into the village and surveyed the area for an exit point.

"Guys, over here! I found a way!" Mary announced. "Maybe we can head him off!"

Everyone started climbing the hill she found, which was dotted by more crumbling seaside shacks.

Nate clenched his hands, mumbling, "First I'm gonna save him, and then I'm gonna punch him."

"I'll hold him down," Lily added.

"Alright, let's just worry about the saving part first," Sully advised.

"What the hell is he thinking? I mean, after everything we've been through… wasn't this enough?" asked Nate.

"The treasure was in his reach, could you blame him?" Lily replied.

"That's the hard part: you need to know when to stop. It's a hard lesson to learn, but well worth it," Nate said.

Eventually their progress was halted by a high wall. Nate approached it, analyzing the height. Lily shadowed Nate as she scoured for a solution.

"You can boost me up and I'll use my grappling hook to hoist you guys over," Lily suggested.

"Great idea, Lil," Nate commented.

After informing the others of our plan, Nate planted his feet firmly and interlocked his hands. Lily stepped on Nate's foot rest and leapt to the ledge. Her wound, despite being shielded by her shirt, screamed with pain. Lily bit her lip as her body brushed against the rough stones forming the wall. Once securely on the ground, she rested on her left knee to retrieve her grappling hook.

Everyone gathered around as Nate began to ascend. Once he reached Lily, he placed his hand over hers and leaned in close.

"Just us," he whispered. He gently pushed Lily's hand down to her side and she tucked the rope away.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" questioned Sully.

"Yeah, come on, toss it down," Elena insisted.

Lily and Mary exchanged glances.

"They're going alone," Mary observed.

"Nate, Lily… no, not by yourselves," Sully instructed.

"It's not fair," Elena commented, taking a few steps forward as she looked up at the duo.

"What?" questioned Nate.

"Nate… you and I take turns doing the dishes," she recalled with a sorrowful smile. "Don't even think about not coming back. Same goes for you, Lily."

"I love you," Nate said, reflecting her melancholy grin.

"I love you too, Mom," Lily added. She panned to Mary with an apologetic smile.

"Can you look after them for me?"

"Of course," she spoke, sounding slightly choked-up.

With a small wave, Nate and Lily disappeared into the jungle. The two walked in silence as birds chirped while animal calls echoed among the trees. A wave of nostalgia washed over Lily as they jogged through thick bushes and barrelled over fallen logs.

"Just like old times, huh?" Lily chuckled as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek.

"Just like old times," Nate smiled. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

The sun had nearly sunk into the ocean as they ventured deeper into the island, casting a beautiful purple shade over the landscape. A grassy ledge prevented them from continuing onward. They skidded to a stop as their eyes panned to a towering cliff. Lily placed her hand gently on her wound, which was starting to seep blood through her shirt.

"Dad, there's something I haven't told you about…"

Lily heaved a heavy sigh as she lifted slightly her shirt, revealing the wound underneath. Nate's eyes widened with fear as he noticed the damaged skin.

"It's taking longer to heal than it should," Lily noted.

"Lily, you should've stayed back with the others," said Nate.

"... and let you have all the fun? No thanks," Lily shook her head.

"I've noticed your powers haven't been as strong since we arrived," Nate observed.

"I'm probably overusing them; I just need to take it easy," Lily nodded.

"That's not what I mean. It's not just the amount of damage you've been causing, it's the damage you've been taking. I don't think your body can handle the strain, even with powers. We're just gotta head to the creepy mountain, save Sam, and get the hell outta here, _without_ using powers… got it?"

"Got it," she respired.

Lily gave Nate a pained smirk and hurried down a mossy hill. Skimming around the edges of cliffs, they made their way up the mountain. The sun's warm glow lit their way, and the elevation dropped the air temperature, causing the insects to gravitate toward the jungle floor which was covered by a blanket of green, vibrant trees. They came across the entrance to a cave carved into the mountain wall. With no other way to go, they began their descent. However, before they could begin climbing down, a slight disturbance from the bushes behind them forced Lily to retrieve her pistol, which she snapped toward the source of the noise.

"Don't shoot! It's me!" a familiar voice shouted.

Lily's eyes narrowed as Mary revealed herself.

"Mary? What are you doing here?" questioned Nate.

"You're supposed to be back with Mom and Sully," Lily scolded.

Mary stepped out of the thickets and brushed the stray leaves and splinters away.

Sighing, she explained, "Like Sam, I've been searching for this treasure for a _very_ long time. I feel like I'd be dishonoring Cassandra if I didn't see this through."

Nate's expression hardened at the mention of his mother. Lily noticed this and reached for his wrist, squeezing it gently.

"It could get dangerous, Mary," Nate warned.

"And what we've been going through wasn't? I'll be fine, Nate. Don't worry," she responded.

"Fine, just… try and keep up," Nate instructed.

"Thank you, Nate," she said appreciatively.

"Let's just get down there. I'm tired of being on this damn rock," he cursed. They began travelling into the cavern. The light from outside bounced around the moist rock walls, dimming as they continued traversing through the grotto, during which an increasing number of stalactites could be seen hanging from the ceiling.

Mary had been slightly taken aback at Nate's sudden harshness. Lily noticed the shift in her

expression and tapped the side of her arm. Leaning in, she whispered, "Don't worry about him, he's kind of a jerk when he gets stressed."

"Oh, I can already tell," she uttered. "John was sort of the same way, just… worse. A lot of his aspects were similar to Nate's, but he always seemed to go about things the wrong way. I'm glad you found someone like Nate to help guide you," she smiled.

"So am I," Lily grinned.

The cavern tunnels became increasingly narrow as their decline progressed. Several times they had to slide down unstable gradients and swing across ravines due to solid ground becoming more of a scarcity. This continued until they came upon a lone wood structure leaning against the that looked to be from the broken part of a bridge. The middle plank was wrapped in an old, frayed rope. Adjacent to the wooden piece was a cliff which hung above an abyss filled with clean, stagnant water.

"Well, I guess that's our queue to rappel down," determined Nate.

The three attached their grapple hooks to the small structure and gave a firm tug to ensure its safety. Walking to the edge, they turned their backs to it and gently leaned backward, allowing gravity to start taking hold as they began their slow plunge into the heart of the cave. Suddenly, the area opened into a grand bay with sunlight flooding in through a massive opening in the cave wall. A grandiose pirate ship floated in the middle of the water. Its sails had long since disintegrated, while moss and mold encapsulated a large amount of the wood. Huge windows dotted the side of the boat, each coated with a still-shimmering layer of gold.

"Oh my God, that's Avery's ship!" Nate exclaimed.

Mary let out a shivering gasp as a single tear crept from her eye.

"We finally found it… the Fancy, in all her glory…" she muttered, awestruck. "Let's get down there," she stated, increasing the speed of her descent.

Several feet before reaching the water, they came to the end of their ropes.

"Damn, just barely too short," Mary swore. "I think we should be close enough to jump," she suggested.

Nate glanced down, analyzing the distance to the bottom.

"Yeah- yeah, I think you're right," he concluded. "I'll go first. See ya down there!"

He waved before releasing his rope, quickly dropping into the quiet water below, crossing his arms across his chest as he disappeared below its surface.

"Hoo, that's bracing," Lily heard him say to himself as he rose back to the top. "Come on in, the water's fine!" he called up.

"I'll go last," Lily offered. "Go on, you'll be fine."

They gave each other a reassuring smile as Mary hesitantly followed Nate's lead. Lily watched as she plummeted, ensuring she had landed safely before joining the other two in the lagoon.

The icy cave water sent chills down her spine as it engulfed her.

"Marco!" she shouted, emerging from the shallow depths, clearing the water from her eyes.

"Polo!" Nate laughed. "Hey, that's my joke!"

"And…?" Lily smiled.

"Aaand, I just think people should come up with their own material," he stammered. "Come on, we're almost there."

Swimming through a narrow opening in the wall separating them from the bay, they came across a small dock. On it stood Nadine and Rafe, who were busy murmuring to each other as the two Shoreline soldiers loaded chests overflowing with gold and jewels onto an inflated RIB boat. The trio swam underneath in order to get a better listen.

Suddenly, the motor of another boat at the opposite end of the dock roared to life and sped off toward Avery's ship.

"Sam!" Lily exclaimed hushedly.

"Sam just stole our goddamn boat. He's headed for Avery's ship. Come on," Rafe urged.

"Let him. We're done," Nadine affirmed.

"We're done?" repeated Rafe.

"Most of my men are dead, Rafe. And those who aren't have already left," Nadine explained.

"Can you see that? The end is _literally_ in sight," said Rafe, pointing to Avery's ship. He began climbing into the boat floating by his feet.

"That maniac pirate of yours has rigged this entire cave. I'm not setting foot on his ship," Nadine replied.

"If you cut and run right now, the loss of all your men, everything that we've done, is for nothing," he seethed, stepping back toward Nadine.

"We have millions in gold right here. I'd say that plus our lives is something," said Nadine, jabbing her finger toward the pile of treasure resting on the boat.

"No wonder so many of your men abandoned you," Rafe chuckled humorlessly, turning back to the boat.

"Excuse me?"

"We're on the verge… of making history here, and you're willing to just walk off with a pittance, a fraction, of what Sam's gonna get from that boat," Rafe reminded her.

"If he can walk away from that ship alive… he can have it. Hell, I'd say he's earned it. God knows you didn't," Nadine snapped.

Rafe raised his hand and slapped Nadine across her face, leaving a numbing sting behind.

"Now, look… We can stand here and insult each other all day… or we can finish what it is that we-"

Nadine furiously jammed her fist into Rafe's stomach, forcing him to double over. She pushed him to the ground and aimed her pistol down at him.

"Oh, we're finishing it all right-" Nadine huffed.

The soldiers aimed their rifles towards her.

"Sorry ma'am," the one by Rafe apologized. He extended his hand to Rafe, aiding him to his feet.

"Yeah… thing about mercenaries, Nadine… their loyalty, it's bought… it's not earned. Now, come on. Either we finish this thing together… or we can just end it right here," Rafe threatened.

Nadine stood there contemplating her next move as she panned to Rafe and the soldier. She spread her hands to her side as the soldier retrieved her pistol.

"Let's go make history," Nadine sighed irritably.

"By all means," Rafe said, gesturing towards the boat. Nadine shot him a nasty glare as they piled into the craft and sped off towards the ship.

"We've gotta get to that boat," Nate asserted. They began swimming as fast as possible toward the ship. Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the front of the ship, causing its nose to drop into the water.

"Holy shit!" Nate exclaimed. "Sam…"

They continued swimming to the ship, which upon arrival, they discovered was scuttled on a small, flat rock. Climbing into the smouldering hole in the side of the ship, they found the bloody body of a soldier who had sprung a trap. Advancing through the hull, they found themselves climbing a small flight of splintered stairs to the deck, which was covered in rotted barrels, cannons, and halves of lifeboats. Walking to the other side, they entered the hold.

Strewn about were all manners of gold doubloons, vases, chests, jewels, and artifacts. Thousands of coins had been strewn about the floor after their containers were shattered by the explosion. Carefully stepping through the room, Nate led them to a vertically-opening door on the adjacent side.

Grabbing the bottom ledge of the door, he heaved it open. A wave of smoke dispersed as the door swung towards them, revealing a chamber littered with coins and artifacts shimmering gold. The walls were filled with treasure, trapped behind thick nets. Hungry flames danced through the artifacts, giving the room's light an orange hue. Nate took a step when the click of a gun prevented him from advancing.

With his arm raised at Nate, Rafe appeared from behind the smoke. Nate and Lily retrieved their pistols and targeted Rafe.

"Hey Nate, Lillian… Mary," Rafe greeted.

"Where's Sam?" Nate demanded.

"He's right there," Rafe replied, pointing to an unconscious Sam, who was trapped beneath a collapsed wooden support beam. The broken floor below him molded to his body, which made it impossible for him to move even if he were conscious.

"Sam!" Lily shrieked, her voice trembling.

"Oh, relax, he's alive. Y'know, this idiot nearly got us all killed," Rafe grunted.

"I'm getting him out of here," Nate affirmed as he stepped closer to Sam.

"No… you're not," Rafe threatened.

"Rafe, you can have the treasure alright? Just let me save my brother," Nate pleaded as he choked on the smoke.

"Seriously? After _everything_ he's done? How noble of you," Rafe chuckled deviously.

"I guess someone like _you_ wouldn't understand," Lily snapped.

"Watch your tongue, brat," Rafe growled.

"Come on, Rafe. If we stay here any longer, we're all dead. Is that what you want?" Mary urged.

"That's not what I said," Rafe reminded her. His eyes menacingly panned to the door behind them. "What do you think Nadine?"

The three glanced behind them to find Nadine and the Shoreline commander stalking into the chamber, their pistols trained on them.

"Good to see you up and about. Be a dear and relieve them of their guns," Rafe ordered.

Mary and Nadine exchanged glances as she drew closer.

"Hand them over!" Nadine barked.

Nate and Lily reluctantly obeyed.

"Nadine… you don't have to do this. There's still time," Mary insisted.

"You expect me to show you mercy after you betrayed us? Keep dreaming," she scoffed.

"Do you really think you can trust him?" Nate questioned Nadine.

"That's none of your concern," Nadine assured.

"Now why are you trying to instigate? Nate, Mary… Nadine and I are partners… and I don't screw over my partners. It's a shame… Mary; I really had high hopes for you," Rafe sneered.

Mary's gaze drifted to the floor as she gave no response.

"Now get over there," Rafe demanded as he gestured his gun at Sam. Nate patted Lily's back and gently guided her, with Mary following suit. Rafe's hateful glare was staring daggers at Nate.

"Right from the start, your family has taken advantage of my generosity. You tried to cut me out, and it's high time you learned what happens when you double cross me," Rafe seethed as his finger tugged on the trigger. Wordless, Mary forced herself in front of Nate.

"Rafe, I-" Nate began but was interrupted by a loud pop. An eerie silence fell in the chamber, only to be broken by the crackling fire.

"Oh my God… Mary!" Nate shrieked.

Lily's body went numb from shock as she watched Mary clutch her chest and collapse into Nate's arms.

"Mary! Mary, stay with me, please!" Nate begged, his voice quivering.

Lily knelt beside Mary, resting her hand behind her head for comfort. Tears streamed down Lily's cheeks as she laid her free hand over Mary's wound. A faint light enveloped Lily's weak fingers, yet the hole in Mary's chest refused to weave together.

"My powers… they're too weak. I can't…" Lily spoke hoarsely.

Mary stroked Lily's cheek, wiping her tears away.

"Lily, Nate… I'm sorry. I wish I could've… spent more time with you…" Mary respired as her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay open.

"Mary…?" Nate spoke quietly. He received no response.

"Mary!" Nate cried.

"Mary, don't leave me! I just found you…!" Lily wept as she held her mother.

Another bang. A bloody hole appeared in Mary's forehead, knocking her head backwards. Lily glanced up to see Rafe pointing a smoking pistol toward Mary.

"Enough with the waterworks, back on your feet," Rafe barked.

Lily was about to tackle Rafe when Nadine pressed her gun against the back of Rafe's neck.

"… what are you doing?" questioned Rafe annoyedly.

"Give me your gun," Nadine ordered.

"Nadine…" Rafe began.

"I won't ask again!"

Rafe hesitantly obeyed.

"You're being… _profoundly _stupid right now," Rafe remarked, turning to Nadine.

During this exchange, Lily turned her attention back to Mary. The world around her became distorted and her vision blurred from her stinging tears. Nate placed a gentle hand on Lily's shoulder as he watched his daughter's horrified expression transform into a blank stare.

"Look over there," said Nadine, gesturing to her right.

"Nadine, stop screwing around!" Rafe barked.

Nadine glared at Rafe and fired at his feet, forcing him to jump back.

"Dammit!" Rafe cursed.

"I said… look!"

Everyone panned to a pair of skeletons, dressed in elaborate pirate uniforms surrounded by coins and treasure chests. Each one had a sword pierced through its rib cage.

"Okay, it's a couple of skeletons, so what?" Rafe shrugged.

"I don't know much about history as you… but I've got a pretty good idea who those two are…" Nadine seethed.

"Well, enlighten us…" Rafe huffed.

"It's Avery and Tew… they killed each other," Nate explained.

"Good for them, what's the point?" Rafe required.

"Everyone obsessed with this treasure… gets what they deserve,"

"So what, you're just leaving us here to die?" asked Nate.

"Oh, I'm just leaving. Whether you die or not, I don't really care," said Nadine as she and the commander slowly crept from the chamber.

As Lily tried to process these events, her mind went blank. The orange hue, combined with her grief, made it impossible to make out anything surrounding her. The world began closing in on her, blocking out everything, even the roar of the flames, which were overpowered by a buzzing that had formed in her head.

"Nadine… wait!" Nate shouted.

"So long, Rafe," she grinned maliciously as she slammed the door shut.

Rafe rushed toward the door, slamming his fists on it, screaming, "Nadine! Nadine, you open this goddamn door right now!"

"Rafe, she's gone! C'mon, give me a hand, we'll all get out of here!" Nate instructed as he began clearing debris from around Sam.

"Oh, no… no, that won't work," Rafe grunted, quickly striding toward the cadavers in the corner, grabbing the sword from the one which looked as if it had once been Tew.

"No, I'm not going to be able to enjoy… one of these coins… knowing you and your worthless family are still sucking air," He began menacingly approaching Nate.

"Alright, just… just calm down. You can practice your fencing when we get outside-" Nate quipped, reaching out his hand in a plea to simmer Rafe's anger.

"Nate, just shut up," Rafe demanded, raising his sword toward Nate as he continued his approach.

"Seriously, Rafe… this is insane, even for you," Nate warned.

"You wanna hear insane? Nathan Drake raced a madman and his entire army to the steps of Shambhala!" Rafe howled, raising his sword above his head before swinging it toward Nate, who barely dodged it. "Nathan Drake found a lost city in the middle of the Rub' al Khali desert!"

Another swing, even closer this time.

"Damn it… come on, we can get out of here together!" Nate pleaded.

"Nathan Drake discovered the fabled El Dorado!" Rafe yelled, proceeding to once again swing his sword. The tip of the blade narrowly cut the skin of Nate's left shoulder, forcing him to wince at the pain. A pale white glow began surrounding the blade.

"All while protecting his daughter… Nathan Drake… is a legend," Rafe laughed. "Ya know, I shot the man who told me that."

"Look, I get it, you don't like me very much-" Nate started.

"You know, for all your 'greatness,' Nate, you have nothing. You are nothing. And I warned you to get out of my way," Rafe seethed.

He began sending a barrage of swings at Nate, who barely dodged every attack. Spotting a small opening in Rafe's defenses, he punched him in the face and tackled him into the wall, trying to pry the sword from Rafe's grasp. Quickly, Rafe headbutted Nate, knocking him to the ground. He rushed to Nate, crouching on top of him, pressing his knee into his chest.

Nate placed his hands on the sword's guard as Rafe pressed it toward his throat.

"I have sacrificed _everything_ to find Avery," Rafe heaved. "And I'm not going to let a trio of two-bit thieves, a senile con man, and a washed up journalist take that away from me!"

Nate shoved Rafe off of him, diving for the sword sticking from Avery's chest and pulling it out.

Ascending to his feet, Rafe smiled, saying, "That's the spirit. You know how to sword fight?"

"Yeah. I stick you with the sharp end, right?" Nate bantered, raising the sword to Rafe.

"Oh, this should be fun," Rafe sneered.

The two began brawling with the ancient weapons, sparks flying in every direction as the blades clashed. The clang of the metal echoed softly in Lily's ears, growing louder with every strike.

"Lily, I could use some help here!" Nate exclaimed. However, his words fell on still-deaf ears. The powerful impact of the swords became increasingly evident to her as the fight progressed. Slowly, she regained the ability to hear the crackle of flames surrounding her. The room's orange glow grew brighter, and she could smell the smoke filling the air.

"Lily!" Nate shouted just before Rafe slammed his cutlass in Nate's abdomen, creating a deep, bloody slice. He fell backward, clutching his wound. Rafe started walking toward Nate, looking down at him as a predator looks at prey.

In the blink of an eye, Lily blitzed in front of Rafe, whose expression turned to one of sudden shock.

"You killed my mother," Lily growled, pushing Rafe across the room. His body slammed into the wall, knocking a few coins loose and scattering them across the floor. Rafe grabbed one, examining it.

"Ya know, Avery's treasure wasn't the only thing I came here to find," he chuckled. Tossing the coin to the floor, he returned to his feet. He studied the blade in his hand, which had begun to emit a blinding, shimmering light.

"The Sword of Triton. It's said to have been forged in the depths of Atlantis by Triton himself. I'm sure you're aware of what it does, Nate?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to give you control over sunken ships and their crew, but it's just a myth… it can't be real," Nate replied.

"Oh, it's real… and it's _mine_. Checkmate, hero," Rafe scoffed as he thrust the sword above his head, sending a beam of light crashing through the ceiling and out into the cave. Skeletal apparitions of the twelve Founders emerged from the walls, a dimly glowing royal purple smoke leaking from their eye sockets. The ship began trembling as Rafe pointed his sword toward Lily, commanding the ghosts to engulf her, sweeping her through the opening in the ceiling and out of the cave. As she tore through the air, she witnessed the side of the cave crumbling into the sea as the Fancy emerged from it, chasing her into the sky. Transparent images of the former captains' ships faded into existence, each spouting a deluge of spirits who emitted wraithlike bellows as they soared at Lily.

A thick membrane of phantoms continued consuming her, blotting out the light of the amber sunset. She struggled to free herself from the inundation of specters, however no amount of fighting moved her even an inch toward freedom. Slowly, a familiar darkness began to consume her. Just before giving up, images of Nate laying slain at Rafe's feet flashed through her mind. A sudden strength shot through her, incomparable to anything she's experienced before. She screamed as black and blue flames erupted from her body, evaporating the mist-like creatures.

As she hovered above the fleet of ships hurtling toward her, Lily noticed any trace of pain had left her body. Quickly glancing down, she realized not even a scar remained where her wound once was. Her attention was shifted to an army of howling ghosts charging toward her. Just before they reached her, she glanced into the top of the Fancy and noticed Nate and Rafe fighting once again.

_I have to hurry,_ she thought.

Diving into the sea of spirits, she began blasting them with rays of blazing flame, dissipating waves of them with every attack. Despite her onslaught, the battalion of deceased pirates refused to cease spewing from their respective ships. Giving a stern sigh, she closed her eyes, focusing on her powers. A swirling black and blue aura formed around her, giving a blistering heat which began turning the ocean below her to steam.

Opening her eyes, she charged toward the ships, her speed causing her aura to look akin to that of a comet shooting across the horizon. Crashing through the splintered, transparent wood, she shattered the vessels into a thick, warm fog. Dashing between each ship, their remnant clouds formed together, becoming more gray as the formation grew. Lightning sprouted from it as the Founders appeared once again, swooping down from the gloomy smog. Lined on either side of Avery, they pointed their rusty swords toward a central point as each emitted a strong beam of light. Once the beams merged, a singular laser launched itself toward Lily.

Raising her right hand toward her oppressors, she unleashed a torrent of flame, obliterating the captains and the thunderous cloud above them. The air was clear of all ships aside from one: Avery's. It continued rising into the air, unimpeded by the loss of the captains' vessels. She darted down toward it, determined to rescue Nate and Sam. As she flew toward it, a singular spirit appeared above it. Upon closer inspection, Lily realized it looked different from the others. Rather than bones and ragged clothes, it had skin, dark, shoulder-length hair, and was clothed in a more modern manner.

It was Mary.

Her eyes glowed the same purple color as blood oozed from where she had been shot. Lily stopped her advance, stunned by her sudden appearance. Mary tilted her head up to Lily. Her mouth stretched open, discharging a chilling shriek as she blitzed toward Lily. She hovered there, frozen by fear. As Mary approached, she saw through the transparent body Nate on the ground in front of Rafe, defending himself from an assailment of sword strikes.

Lily raised a hand once more. Just before Mary reached her she released a burst of heavy, hot air.

"... bye, Mom…" she uttered, a singular tear dripping down her cheek.

Releasing a sorrowful sigh, she steeled her resolve. Strengthening the flames surrounding her, she tore into the ship, grabbing the sword and squeezing it until it snapped just before digging her fist into Rafe's back, sending him flying across the room once more, knocking him out. Suddenly, the ship began falling.

Nate, who laid on the floor, was barely conscious. A shallow pool of blood had begun forming around him, sourced from the gut wound which had been exacerbated by the continued fighting. His skin was growing pale, and his eyes began to flicker as he looked up at Lily.

"Lily… 'bout time you showed up," Nate coughed through a smile. "Let's get outta here before we crash, huh?"

"Hush, you need to save your strength," Lily advised. "Now lie still while I heal you."

She placed a hand above the laceration and began emitting a green mist, forcing his gash to begin healing. The blood stopped flowing and new muscle began to appear.

Rafe reawoke and coughed up a splash of blood. Wiping it from his chin, he grabbed the wall to steady his shaking legs as he stood once more. His trembling arm shook the wall, jolting loose a small, glowing blue stone. Curiously, he picked it up. A blue energy began flowing from the stone into the sword still grasped in his battered hand. Blue flames grew from the broken blade, recompleting its shape.

"I've heard of this stone before… you're finished," he uttered. He pointed it toward Lily, who was focused on healing Nate.

"Look out!" Nate shouted as a storm of blue and white flames shot from Rafe's sword. In a blur, she raised her free hand to fire her own attack. The beams clashed in midair, the cascade of colors mixing at the midpoint. The healing glow above Nate began to weaken.

"Lily, don't worry about me, just finish it!" Nate calmored.

Gritting her teeth, Lily looked toward Rafe, the area around her emerald green pupils glowing a deep blue.

"You want this treasure so bad, Rafe?!" she called over the cacophony. "Burn with it!"

Lifting another hand to the flames, she unleashed a cascade of blue and black flames, obliterating Rafe, along with half of the ship. Rushing to Sam, she tossed the beam off him. She gently lifted him to his feet and carried him to Nate. Helping him up as well, they began hobbling toward the ship's opening. Looking down, she could see the ground rapidly approaching. Glancing back, she saw Mary's body, lifelessly laid on the floor. Giving a slight frown, she tightened her grip on the brothers and jumped from the ship. As they coasted toward the beach, the flames surrounding Lily began to fade, causing her to struggle to keep them from plummeting into the ocean.

Shortly before the last ember flickered out, they dropped the few remaining feet below them into the water close to the beach. It took every ounce of her strength to swim them to shore, where she pulled them onto dry land. Her right leg suddenly gave out, forcing her down on one knee. Looking out to the ocean behind her, she saw the Fancy crash into the waves. As she watched it sink into the water, her eyes drifted closed as her body flopped on the sand.

Hearing footsteps next to them, she forced her eyes slightly open. Above her stood a grinning Elena, holding a large walkie-talkie.

"Hey Sully, I got 'em," she announced.

"Where are ya?" he inquired from the other side of the radio.

"We're right here," Elena said, firing a flare into the sky. A soft smile across her face, Lily allowed her consciousness to fade.


	12. A Good Life

A low hum buzzed in Lily's ears as rough turbulence jolted her awake. She found herself seated on a bench seat in Sully's plane, resting on Nate's shoulder. He sat sleeping peacefully, his hand resting on his bandaged stomach. Sam and Elena were engaged in conversation, claiming seats adjacent to her. Lily dazedly stared about the familiar cabin of Sully's plane. She lifted her head, causing Nate to begin sliding over, startling him awake.

Lily studied Nate's face as if it were completely foreign to her, analyzing the scars and bruises covering his cheeks.

"Dad?"

"Hey kiddo," he greeted with a tired smile.

"How did we… get here?" she choked as images cast in an orange hue flashed before her.

"Elena dragged us aboard after you swam Sam and I ashore. Don't you remember?" he questioned.

Lily glanced about the cabin as she recognized Sam and Elena with Sully occupying the cockpit. Her heart grew heavy when she noticed the absence of one.

"… where's Mary?"

The cabin fell silent. Frowns cast across Sam and Elena's faces as they glanced toward her.

"Lily… I'm sorry… she's gone," Nate sighed.

"What?!" Lily gasped.

"Rafe was about to shoot me, and she shoved herself in front of me…" Nate grieved, pointing his head away from Lily.

"I could've saved her! I've healed worse!" Lily shouted horsley.

"You started to, but Rafe… he shot her in the head," Nate continued.

"Why…? Things could've been different… if you hadn't stopped me from using my powers so much, or if we brought Mom along in the first place, maybe she would still be alive…"

"Lily, I-" Nate began.

"Why is it that every time we find one of my birth parents, you get them killed?!" she screamed at Nate. She stormed into the cockpit and slammed the door behind her. Silently, she tearfully watched as Libertalia disappeared below the clouds as they continued climbing into the sky.

"Ya know, kid, Nate really did me dirty quite a few times, but we've always stuck through. This one time-" Sully started.

"Shut it, gramps," she grunted.

After a sad glance down at the console, Sully shifted his gaze back toward the open air before them.

"You don't wanna talk? You got it, kid," he said in a melancholic tone. Not another word was spoken for the rest of the flight back to the mainland.

After a few long hours, they finally landed at a dock in mainland Madagascar. Lily swung her duffle bag over her shoulder and exited the plane after everyone else had gotten off. Nate and Sully were standing on the far side of the dock, talking as Nate checked his bag. At the other end of the dock were Sam and Elena, laughing over a joke. Still not wishing to speak to Nate, she strode over to the other two to join their conversation.

"… and then the bunny escapes anyway and it leaves little bunny surprises all over the headmaster's bed," Sam chuckled, now within Lily's earshot.

"Are you telling her about Dad's magic phase?" asked Lily, masking her grief with an over enthused smile.

"You knew about this?" questioned Elena.

"He would perform magic tricks for me when we first started living together," Lily explained.

"Oh, but did you know of… Nate the Great?" he grinned.

"Excuse me?!" Lily laughed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Nate approaching them and quickly turned away. Sadness reflected in Nate's eyes but faded the moment he faced Sam.

"Hey, hey, hey, what have you been telling them?"

"Your little magic phase," Elena replied.

"Oh, I hate you," Nate scoffed sarcastically.

"So what, was that your stage name?" Elena prodded.

Lily bit her lip to prevent herself from giggling as Elena and Sam chuckled at Nate's expense.

"Hey, it's not funny; it made sense!" Nate huffed.

"Okay, in his defense, he was actually pretty good," Sam teased.

Once the laughter died down, Elena turned to Sam and outstretched her hand, saying, "Well, Sam, it's been an experience getting to meet you."

"A handshake? Really? Bring it in for the real thing, sister," Sam insisted as he embraced Elena.

"You take care of these two numbskulls, alright?" Sam requested, gently patting her back.

"I will," Elena nodded, releasing the hug.

Sam released her and turned to Lily.

"My niece Lilypad… I know who I'll be turning to next time I'm in a fight," he smiled, hugging her as well.

"You know it," she said, pointing a finger to the sky. She had intended for a small fireball to sprout from the tip of her finger, however nothing was produced. She gave her hand a worried glance before tucking it in the back of her head, continuing, "… and nice nickname."

Sully, who had stayed at the other end of the dock, traipsed over to the group.

"Figured I'd say bye to the rest of ya, too," he grinned, giving Lily a gentle hug.

"I'll miss you, Grandpa Sully. Make sure to visit often," Lily replied, wiping a lone tear from her eye. "Oh, and… sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have snapped at you, you had nothing to do with it."

"Apology accepted, and don't worry about it kiddo, we all have those moments," he said in a kind, gruff voice.

Elena retrieved her bag and headed to the sidewalk to flag down a taxi.

"I'm going to join Mom," Lily announced and hurried away without giving Nate a chance to speak to her. As she approached Elena, she was greeted by a concerned expression.

"Lily, I really think you should talk to Nate about Mary," she suggested. Lily stared ahead as she fought the enveloping sting. As the taxicab slowed to a stop, they tucked their luggage into the trunk.

"What's left to say, Mom? She's gone…" Lily said harshly.

"You know what I mean. While, yes, he should've told me about it from the beginning, he had no control over what Rafe did. One of them was going to die there, and I'm pretty sure I know which one would've hurt you more," she advised.

Lily glanced behind her to find Nate and Sam pulling away from a hug. Nate reached for his duffle and met them at the curb. Nate and Lily made quick, silent exchanges as they piled inside.

Lily claimed the front seat as Nate and Elena slid in behind her. She laid her head against the window and allowed the humming of the engine soothe her to sleep, however nightmarish visions of their final moments in Libertalia prevented her from having a peaceful slumber.

Once at the airport, they hurried to the terminal and began their long journey home. During their travels, Lily caught Nate staring at her as if he wanted to initiate a conversation, but words evaded him. With every glance, Mary's face flashed before Lily, forcing her to look away.

Finally home, a jetlagged Lily sluggishly stumbled through the front door in front of her parents. She scanned the space that was familiar yet simultaneously very foreign to her.

"I'm gonna go take a nap," she announced, heading to her bedroom. Warm tears blurred her vision as she walked up the stairs to the second floor. She was sitting on the edge of her bed when a knock wrapped on her door.

"Lil, may I come in?" Nate asked softly.

Lily's body stiffened at the sound of his voice. Remembering Elena's encouragement, she reluctantly allowed him inside.

"Sure," she mumbled.

Lily watched as Nate peeked from behind the door cautiously. He approached her slowly and claimed a seat next to her. Silence fell between them as Nate observed her bedroom.

"It's nice to be back, huh? It's amazing how much you miss air conditioning," said Nate to break the tension.

A numbing pain caused by the gaping hole where Lily's heart once was made it impossible to respond. Her eyes narrowed into a spiteful glare. Nate sighed before he continued.

"Lil, I'm… I'm sorry… you know, about Mary. She didn't deserve it… I almost feel like it should've been me," he admitted.

"Dad… don't say that, please," Lily urged.

"I know, I just… wish there was something I could've done," he continued.

"There wasn't anything we could've done. My powers were too weak to heal her bullet wound, and I could barely do a thing to yours. Speaking of which… I think my powers are gone. I went to shoot fire into the air when I was talking to Sam, and… nothing."

"Well, you won't need them ever again… right?"

"Right."

She gave Nate a soft, sad smile as they gently embraced.

"I'm sorry, Dad. You didn't deserve the way I treated you," she apologized.

"Thanks. What kinda dad doesn't have to go through their kid hating them sometimes?" he joked, to which Lily gave a tearful laugh.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted," Lily announced, patting her pillow. "Glad to be home."

"Same here. 'Night, Lil… love you," Nate waved as he exited the room, turning off the lights and slowly closing the door.

"Love you too, Dad," she quietly responded, laying her head on the pillow and finally drifted off into an undisturbed sleep.

Two weeks passed before Lily was able to properly resume her routine. She returned to her job, and her and Maddie began making wedding plans. Donning her work uniform, she slumped downstairs to the kitchen and gathered a bowl and her favorite cereal. Yawning, she claimed a seat at the table, which was cluttered with documents. Nate had long since left for work, and Elena was finishing up in the bathroom.

Lily quietly chewed as she analyzed the room for something to focus on. Her eyes wandered to the papers scattered about in front of her. Bold letters sprawled across the pages, labeling them salvage permits and company applications.

"Mom, what are these documents for?" she questioned after swallowing a spoonful.

Elena poked her head of the bathroom door.

"A little surprise I've got for your dad," she replied. "You don't have any plans after work, right? I'd like you along when I go meet him later."

"Just napping," she admitted.

"Great, I'll meet you there!" she smiled, retreating back to the bathroom.

Lily finished her breakfast and left for work, shouting "Bye, Mom!" as she exited the house. Her shift at work was as normal and boring as ever. The day crept by as Lily's excitement built as to what Elena's surprise could be. Finally, the clock struck four. She quickly gathered her things and rushed to the docks where Nate worked for Jameson Marine.

"Glad you made it on time; I just got here myself," Elena waved as Lily got out of her car. She followed her mom up to the trailer containing the main offices. Blue barrels littered the area, with the dry, splintered boards spanning the area being covered by thick ropes and buckets. A small blue bench sat facing the New Orleans bay, while the entire dock was enclosed by a fence of metal pipes.

Lily stood with Elena on the docks as they anticipated Nate's arrival. The office door swung open to reveal Nate shadowing his boss, Jameson, outside. Nate halted to a stop when he spotted the girls leaning against the railing, engaged in conversation.

"Hey! Evening, guys!" Elena greeted.

"What are you guys doing here?" Nate inquired.

"Mom has something to tell you, well… us," Lily grinned.

"Just thought I'd take, you know… one final look at the place," Elena added.

Lily's eyes narrowed as she tried to analyze the meaning behind Elena's smile.

"Already gave your husband the keys," Jameson assured.

"The keys? The keys to what?" asked Lily.

"Is this for real?" questioned Nate, oblivious to Lily's question..

"Nate, all you need to is you'd be making a very wise investment," Jameson encouraged, patting Nate's shoulder.

Lily's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Call me when you're through?" Jameson requested as he gestured toward Elna.

"You got it," Elena nodded.

With a slight wave, Jameson headed to the parking lot. A moment of silence fell between the family as Nate and Lily stared at Elena.

"Hi," she grinned.

"Hi," Nate replied. "You're buying Jameson Marine?"

"_We're_ buying Jameson Marine," Elena corrected.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Lily gasped.

"Okay. How… why…?" questioned Nate.

"Well, I heard this rumor about a salvage job off the coast of Malaysia and I thought it'd be right up our alley…" Elena went on.

Lily stared out at the open water, dumbfounded by the news.

"Honey, we barely made it out of Libertalia alive," Nate reminded her.

"Has that ever stopped us before?" Lily shrugged, glancing back at them.

"We're taking on an illegal job, you know what that leads to," Nade added.

"Who said it was illegal?" said Elena as she retrieved a piece of paper from her back pocket. "This came in this morning."

Nate's eyes widened as he brought the paper close.

"Is this legit?" Nate inquired, jabbing his finger into the paper.

Lily peered over Nate's arm to read the document.

"Yeah, some of my old contacts out there, they worked their magic with the Malaysian permit office. It was great, I didn't even have to bribe anyone," Elena chuckled, joining Lily in staring out to the water.

Nate and Lily exchanged surprised glances.

"Well, that's good because I don't know how we can possibly afford this," Nate interjected.

"Hold out your hand," Elena requested.

"What?"

"Hold out your hand," she repeated as she placed a familiar coin in Nate's palm. Avery's sigil shimmered under the amber afternoon sun.

"Holy crap!" Nate gasped.

Lily analyzed the coin as Nate flipped it through his fingers.

"Where did you get this?" asked Lily, pointing to the coin.

"It was in my jacket pocket… along with a bunch more," Elena replied.

"Sam…" Nate and Lily realized in unison.

"That sly bastard," Lily giggled as she held the coin.

"Of course, most of them have to go into our venture here, along with all the new camera gear," Elena began.

"Camera gear?" questioned Nate.

"Yeah, you know. I figured as we're pulling all the cargo up from the dive... we could hire a small crew, and Lily as my personal assistant. We can film the whole thing and resurrect my old show," Elena explained.

"Just don't expect me to be on camera," Lily agreed.

"No promises!" Elena teased.

"What happened to just… living a normal life?" asked Nate as he claimed a spot on the bench overlooking the bay.

"Yeah, what brought this on?" Lily inquired.

"I think in our attempt to lead a 'normal' life we may have… oversteered…" Elena sighed as she joined Nate on the bench. Lily leaned against the railing as she watched her parents with admiration.

"When I was on that island… I missed the adventure. I missed us. So now we have the chance to do what we love, as a family," Elena continued. "But from here on out, we're going to operate on a strictly legal basis, okay? And I'll be doing all of the shooting… with my _really_ expensive camera,"

Lily sat on the far end of the bench next to Elena as they turned to Nate.

"Wow, you really thought this through, haven't you?" he asked.

"More or less," Elena shrugged. "But listen, just say the word and I will call the whole thing off."

"What? No, no, no, no… I don't want to be the guy who ruins Jameson's early retirement like that. That'd be cruel." Nate teased.

The girls chuckled at Nate's joke.

"It's not going to be easy, you know?" said Nate.

"Nothing worthwhile is," Elena smiled.

Elena's hand gently laid on top of Lily's, whose own rested on Elena's shoulder.

"So what do you say, Nathan Drake?" asked Elena.

"Sure, why not?" Nate nodded.

Elena glanced back at her daughter.

"Lily?"

"Count me in," Lily assured.

Elena rested her head on Nate's shoulder as they watched the sunset sink below the horizon.


	13. Epilogue

Fifteen years had passed since their adventures in Libertalia. Nate, Elena, and Lily, owners of a successful archaeology business named D&F Fortunes, now lived on an island. The sun hovered high above the beach, enveloping Lily in a comforting warmth. She swayed on a hammock in front of the cabana, which was being gently rocked by the ocean breeze. Letters from Sam and Sully crinkled in her hand as she shuffled on the hammock. A smile blossomed as she watched their dog, Vicky, resting peacefully on the sand next to her. Lily read through the pages detailing Sam and Sully's mischievous adventures, and of Sully's successful retirement. She was reading about the girl Sam was seeing when her phone vibrated next to her thigh. She retrieved it to find her agent, Troy, flashing on the screen. Her smile faded into a hard line as she reluctantly answered.

"Hey Troy, What's up?"

Troy only called whenever business was involved.

"I hope you enjoyed your three month vacation; I booked you a signing tour three weeks from now," he began. Lily's eyes widened when realization struck her.

"Troy, I can't go. I planned a trip with Cassie."

"Lillian, you've cancelled every event I assigned you because of your family. When you're famous, you have to make sacrifices. Either do this book signing tour or find another agent for you to give your excuses to," Troy threatened.

Sam's letter crunched in her fist as she fought back the urge to scream. She scrambled for solutions but drew a blank.

"Fine. I'll go this time," Lily sighed.

"Thank you. I'll see you then," he said before hanging up.

The line went dead and Lily slammed her phone into the hammock.

"Damn it! How am I going to explain this to Cassie?" Lily cursed. She glanced back at the house standing proudly on the shore. It was a tan and brown single-story Caribbean-style house with a large front porch when led down to the sand. Windows dotted each side of the building, which was surrounded by bushes and palm trees.

Lily gathered her things and hesitantly strode across the beach with Vicky shadowing her. Before ascending the porch steps, she admired the crystalline ocean waves on which a large sailboat floated, hoping their beauty would calm her nerves. The wooden planks creaked beneath Lily's weight as she wandered inside.

She found herself in the living room which stretched into the kitchen. Vibrant colors shone under the sun seeping through the curtains. While Lily placed her things on the bench under the window, Vicky claimed a spot on the couch and continued to rest as Lily headed for Cassie's bedroom. As she made her way through the home, which was dressed to the nines in exotic antiques, she could hear the quiet noise of a classic game.

Opening the door, she found her sister Cassie, a young teenager with blonde hair, brown eyes, and a face reminiscent of Elena's, sitting on the edge of her bed finishing up a game of _Crash Bandicoot_.

"Oh man, just barely missed the high score!" she sighed before she noticed Lily had entered the room.

"Cas, can we talk for a sec?" Lily requested. Cassie's expression turned to one of confusion as she sat the controller on the floor.

"Yeah, what's up?" she questioned.

The springs on Cassie's bed creaked as Lily took the spot next to her.

Lily sighed, explaining, "Troy called. I'm supposed to go on a book signing tour in three weeks."

"But our trip to India is in three weeks!" she whined.

"I know… I tried to reason with him but he threatened to quit, and I can't afford to hire another agent," she suspired.

"Hm… well, this blows," Cassie pouted.

"Why don't you go with Dad?" Lily asked.

"This was supposed to be _our_ trip, Lily. He'd just make it lame," she added.

"I'm sorry Cas, but the world demands your sister's attention," Lily joked in an attempt to break the tension. "And come on, he makes trips anything but lame."

" I know, but we barely spend time together anymore."

"I know… but hey, I promise, we'll do _something_ after I get back from my trip. Something big. Deal?" Lily bargained.

"Fine," Cassie sighed.

Glancing at her watch, Lily realized, "Oh crap, it's almost time for us to meet Mom and Dad at the boat!"

"At least this'll help cheer me up," Cassie said, giving a small smile. They exited the house and walked to the dock adjacent to the porch. At the end of the dock sat their sailboat, still tied to the dock with its sails tightly wrapped. A cooler, bucket, and some diving and fishing supplies sat arranged next to it, ready to be loaded for the trip.

"Guess they're not here. Let's go check the workhouse," Cassie suggested. They walked back to the beach and down the shore for a bit, arriving at a building similar to the other, however this was was longer and not as wide. Walking inside, they were greeted by a nautically-themed work area, which had several artifacts and maps strewn about on their respective tables. A wide opening across from the entrance led to the next room. The wall to the left of the gateway was covered in various awards and magazine covers speaking of Lily's books and the several archaeological digs D&F Fortunes held.

"Oh my gosh, I look like such a dork in this one," Cassie exclaimed, motioning to one of the pictures. It was a photo of them on a magazine cover holding a long-lost treasure which they'd found two months prior. The article was labeled; "A Treasure Hunting Family." Lily couldn't help but smile at the two girls who were bonding in the photo.

"I think you look adorable," Lily chuckled.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Cassie huffed.

"Honestly you do, just look at that smile! Repeat after me: 'I look cute,'" Lily instructed, her eyes beaming.

Rolling her eyes, Cassie echoed, "'I look cute.' Ya happy?"

"Yes!" Lily exclaimed.

"I know you're just doing this to make up for us not going on the trip," Cassie reminded.

"You're sorta right, but I think I know what'll _really_ make up for it," Lily teased with a twinkle in her eye. "You know that wardrobe where Dad never let you look inside?" she said, pointing to the mahogany wardrobe sitting by a large bookshelf in the other room.

"Yeah…?"

"… ya wanna see?"

"Yeah! But wait, it's locked, and Dad has the key," Cassie said.

"I know where they hide the extra," Lily winked. Striding over to the left of the bookshelf, she picked out a particularly clean-looking book. Opening to the center, she revealed a cut-out section of pages containing a small wooden box. When she pressed a small button on the right of the box, its door flung open, unveiling a key.

"You ready?" Lily smiled, grabbing the key and sitting the book on a nearby desk before walking to the storage case. She inserted the key and gave it a smooth twist, unlocking the small mechanism. Cassie swung open the doors, discovering a wide swath of treasures from their first adventures.

"A wooden cross? Spanish and pirate coins? Holy crap, where'd you guys get this stuff?" Cassie analyzed in amazement.

"Oh, ya know. Places," Lily said, unsure if she should explain further.

Cassie opened a drawer toward the bottom and picked out a small vial containing familiar blue stones.

"What this?" she asked.

"It's said that's the resin from the Tree of Life, and that it'll give you powers," Lily explained. She gently grabbed the bottle from Cassie. As she did, the stones inside lit up brightly, causing a warmth to spread through her hand.

"Woah!" exclaimed Cassie.

"Let's just say I'm… very familiar with these," Lily joked, placing the vial back in the drawer before slowly closing it.

Lily's eyes drifted to her mother's necklace, which sat on an ornate stand. She'd placed it there shortly after they bought the house, figuring it was better suited for gathering dust with other artifacts, at least for the time. She picked it up, nostalgically analyzing it.

"A necklace?" Cassie noticed.

"This was my mom's… my _real_ mom's. I've had it for as long as I can remember… I'd like you to have it. I was going to wait until your birthday, but now's a good a time as ever," Lily said, hooking the necklace around Cassie's neck.

"It's beautiful… thanks, Lil," Cassie smiled. "I'll never let anything happen to it."

She turned her attention back to the wardrobe.

"What's this book?" Cassie asked, bringing down a white leather book, emblazoned with the initials _CSM_.

"I think that belonged to our grandma; I never got to meet her. Come to think of it, I think I've only seen this book once before, but I never got to read it. Let's take a look," Lily informed.

They laid it on the shelf below the bookcase. Flipping through, they found several pages of notes written in quick, neat handwriting. Sketches of Avery and maps of Madagascar could be seen tucked into the paragraphs, which catalogued Cassandra's adventures.

"Wait… did you guys go looking for Avery's treasure?" Cassie questioned.

"Maybe…?" Lily nervously smiled.

"That's so awesome! Did you find it?"

"How do you think we started D&F?" Lily noted.

"Good point," Cassie replied as she picked up a photo, which had scribbled on the back,

_Found this on my old camera - thought you'd like to have it_

_-E_

Flipping it over, she discovered Nate, Elena, and Sully posing with a massive pile of Spanish treasure. Sully was smoking his signature cigar, and Nate had a shotgun resting on his shoulder. Suddenly, the murmuring of Nate and Elena could be heard outside.

"Oh, shit!" Cassie swore in a hushed tone as she ran to the wardrobe, slamming the doors shut. Lily hurriedly placed the key book back on the shelf. Cassie soon realized they'd left Cassandra's diary open on the shelf. She rushed in front of it, attempting to use her body to block it.

"Hey, there you are!" exclaimed Nate as he and Elena entered through the front door. "Been looking for you. What're you doing in here?"

"Uh… looking for you guys!" Cassie chuckled nervously.

"C'mon, we loaded up the boat, it's ready," Elena said, sticking her thumb toward the door.

"Cool. We'll catch up with you guys in a sec," Lily added, her face contorted as she tried to keep it as normal-looking as possible.

"Why…?" Elena questioned.

"And what's with that face, Lil?" Nate asked, noticing Lily's strange expression. She relaxed her visage and glanced to Cassie, motioning toward the book.

"Okay. Don't be mad," Cassie sighed, revealing the book behind her.

Nate's smile quickly faded to disappointment. He rapidly stepped to the wardrobe, tearing open the doors. He looked back to Lily, extending his hand.

"Key," he requested. Lily quickly placed the extra key on his palm, over which his fingers quickly curled.

"So… what did you see?" he inquired.

"Nothing really… well, just that picture of you two with Sully… with a bunch of Spanish-looking treasure… and a _shotgun_," Cassie explained.

"That was before I came along," Lily added.

Nate took the photo and handed it to Elena before relocking the case.

"This was bound to happen sometime, maybe we should just tell her?" Elena suggested.

"She's not ready for it…" Nate interjected.

"Ready for what, all that crazy shit in there?" Cassie said, motioning to the now-closed wardrobe.

"Hey, language," Nate interrupted.

"Yeah, language," Elena included.

"Sorry… but, you guys are literally keeping skeletons in your closet! Or at least a… silver skull of some kind," Cassie pleaded.

"Yeah, come on, Dad. Let's tell her," Lily encouraged.

"You know, I don't think _I'm_ ready for this," Nate admitted. "Really."

"Nate, it's time to have the talk," Elena explained.

"Yeah, it's totally time… wait, which talk are talking about here?" Cassie asked, slightly worried.

"She's just a kid," Nate stated.

"She's older than you and Sam when you started all of this, _and_ she's as old as Lily when you two first met," Elena said.

"That's- that is different, and you know it," Nate began.

"Okay, look. If you guys were into some shady stuff, it's totally cool! But I think I'm old enough to know about it, right?" Cassie petitioned.

"Old enough," Nate chuckled. "How old are you again?"

"Haha, funny!" Cassie said sarcastically.

"All right," he sighed, walking to the bookshelf and gathering Cassandra's dairy.

Elena sighed as she attempted to recant their first meeting.

"Well, let's see… umm… for me it started when this guy called me up with a scoop on a 'massive historical find.' Sounded like a complete fraud," she began.

"Yeah. Handsome fraud," Nate interjected. Lily jabbed his arm with her shoulder as she shot him a smile.

"I hadn't even met him yet," Elena added.

"Oh, she knew. She knew," Nate laughed.

"So this fraud says, 'If you fund the trip, then I'll give you the coffin of Sir Francis Drake.'"

"Yeah, and I totally delivered," chuckled Nate.

"Yeah. You delivered us into the hands of Indonesian pirates," Elena corrected.

"Not the fun kind either," Lily added.

"Oh, come on, you know I had nothing to do with that," Nate said.

"Okay, guys… time out. You're saying that you were attacked by pirates… after you found the coffin of Sir Francis Drake.

"That sounds about right," Nate and Elena agreed.

"Bullshit!" Cassie swore in disbelief.

"Language!" Nate, Elena, and Lily said in unison.

"… crap," Cassie corrected.

"Better," Nate said.

"All right, so keep going!" Cassie beckoned.

Nate sighed, suggesting, "You know what? The sun is up. Boat's ready. Wind is just right. You wanna continue the story? I say we do it on the water. C'mon."

"I agree," chimed Lily. They began walking to the boat as Nate continued speaking, making sure to stay close as to not miss a single word.

"Well, wait. What- what'd Francis Drake look like? Was it gross?" Cassie asked.

"Actually, he wasn't in there. Just his journal, with a map to El Dorado.

"The City of Gold?" Cassie probed.

"Ah, that's the legend. Turns out it was just a statue. A cursed statue," Nate continued.

"No way, seriously?" Cassie said in disbelief.

"Seriously," Lily smiled.

"Hey, I'm the one telling the story," Nate joked. As they faded from earshot, Elena quickly ran back inside and placed the picture of them back on the shelf with Cassandra's book.

The four eventually found themselves on the boat. Nate quickly prepared the sails as Lily unwrapped the anchor rope. They sped off to the water, eager to hear the rest of Nate's tale.


End file.
